Town Gown MAY 2012
magazine
A Product of Horizon of MississiPPi P.O. Box 3893 | Mississippi State, MS 39762 www.townandgownmag.com
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don norMAnn | publisher sdnpublisher@bellsouth.net
LeiLAni sALter ter | editor leilani@townandgownmag.com
cLAire MAssey ssey | editorial assistant claire@townandgownmag.com
JessicA BAiLey ey | acct. exec. jessica@ townandgownmag.com
fenL enLy Akers | acct. exec. fenly@ townandgownmag.com
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Justin fritscHer nAncy HArgrove JAne AnnA nnA HArris eMiLy y Jones Joe Lee cLAire MAssey susAn o’BryAn HeLLen en PoLk kAte sALter MiLton ton WHAtLey
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cHris McMiLLen Reproductions in whole or in part, without written permission, is strictly prohibited. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited manuscripts, articles or photographs. We reserve the right to edit submissions before publication. Town & Gown is a free magazine published monthly and distributed in and around Starkville and the Golden Triangle area. Subscriptions are available for mail customers. For subscriptions or inquiries, write Town & Gown Magazine, P.O. Box 3893, Miss. State, MS, 39762, or call 662-323-1642.
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175 yEaRS YEARLONG CELEBRATION PLANNED FOR CITY’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY
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BY EMILY JONES
he year was 1837. A small pioneer settlement had sprung up along a ridge stretching across Oktibbeha County. The territory had been carved from land previously inhabited by the Choctaw Indians. With the 1830 Dancing Rabbit Treaty, the natives were herded westward and the government began selling the land for the unbelievable sum of $1.25 an acre. Rumors traveled fast that the territory was ripe for settlers. Fed by a network of streams and springs, the Mississippi woodlands offered a glimmer of hope for pioneers looking for inexpensive land on which to grow crops and livestock. As early as 1834, it was reported that Methodist circuit rider Jacob Matthews conducted the area’s first worship services near the site now occupied by Starkville’s First United Methodist Church. “The meetings were held in a grove of sweet gum trees next to a spring which we think ran between the church and the building formerly occupied by the Starkville Electric Department,” said Joy Greene, a church member, who documented the founding of the church to qualify for an historical marker. “The Choctaws called the spring ‘Hicashabaha’ which means sweet gum leaves on the water.” Before long, a few stores appeared and families moved in to carve a new life from the dense forests. In his “Historical Sketches of Oktibbeha County (1930)” Judge Thomas B. Carroll estimated the population in 1834 at about 350. The settlement was known as Boardtown, which historians speculate was a result of the clapboard construction used on all early structures. It was located near the geographical center of the 459-square-mile Oktibbeha County. Starkville reaches milestone birthday Fast forward 175 years. The epicenter of that territory is the central business district of Starkville. From those humble beginnings, Starkville has grown into a bustling city with a population of some 23,000 (2010 census). It is home to the state’s largest university of 20,000 plus students. The marriage of the two communities has resulted in an urban sprawl along two major thoroughfares – U.S. 82 and Highway 12. A citywide celebration will be conducted on Friday, May 11, in observance of the city’s charter – dated May 11, 1837 - and its upcoming 175th birthday. The party will begin at 4 p.m. at the Welcome Center located at 200 Main Street. Church bells will chime, a town crier will read a proclamation and refreshments will be served. There will be live music, games and children’s activities reminiscent of a celebration of two centuries ago according to Jennifer Gregory, vice president and chief operations officer for the Starkville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the sponsoring agency. “If the weather is good we may expand over to the Starkville Community Market,” Gregory said. “We are encouraging merchants to decorate and offer special sales, and we invite the entire community to join in the celebration.” The milestone birthday has the organizers pulling together as much of the city’s history as possible– no easy task since the two fires in the city consumed many historical records. Much of the city’s history is hidden in forgotten photograph albums and the minds of Starkville citizens who descended from the founders of the city. The event organizers are actively seeking PHOTOS COURTESY OF OKTIBBEHA COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM AND TODD HALL townandgownmag.com
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was destined to become “king” in the Deep South. But the labor intensive crop also ushered in slave labor. According to the census of 1850, the population of the county was 9,171 which included 4,844 slaves. Carroll’s account noted that in 1846, a telegraph line was built and two coaches were running – one each day in both directions and one a week to carry mail. At the outbreak of the Civil War, practically all of the able-bodied young men of Starkville volunteered for service in the Confederate army. With their men away, women and children were left behind to survive as best they could. “They used parched grain or potatoes for coffee; and they spun their thread and wove much of their cloth, both cotton and woolen, at home,” said Carroll. “Those with valuables buried them to keep them safe from raiding Union parties.” The war moved close to home in 1863 when Grierson’s raiders came through and looted Starkville. Another Union raid the following year was turned back just south of West Point by General Nathan Bedford Forrest who camped on the site which would later be home to A & M College, said Carroll. The 1870s brought the first railroad into Starkville with the construction of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio line between Artesia to Starkville. Ten years later shipments and passengers from Canton, Aberdeen and Nashville came through Starkville with a line that linked Aberdeen to Durant on the Illinois Central. This opened up a new trade territory for Starkville to the northeast. The Great Fire of April 25, 1875 destroyed 52 buildings in town including the courthouse; thus, all of the county’s vital records townandgownmag.com
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Photo courtesy of Todd Hall, Starkville resident.
were burned. The loss was complete and all the insurance was in insolvent companies. There were no disaster programs to help; however, a determined citizenry rebuilt downtown placing the stores farther apart and widening Main Street by 20 feet to its present width as additional fire protection. One of Starkville’s greatest visionaries was Col. William Bell Montgomery who is credited with using his influence to have the land grant college, originally called A & M College, established in Starkville. He would become one of the college’s first trustees, serving until his death in 1904. “His actions, some of which were scoffed at by his contemporaries, influenced the future … as perhaps that of no other individual,” said Shirley Carley, in a report she wrote for the sesquicentennial edition of Starkville Daily News. Cotton was king in the early days, and Montgomery suspected the one-crop system would quickly deplete the soil. He preached diversification and introduced the Jersey cow into the agrarian economy which he predicted would soon convert production of “golden streams of milk.” “At one time, Montgomery had the largest Jersey herd in the country,” said Carley. “His great bull, Champion of America, was the foundation sire of the dairy industry in Mississippi.” Owing to his determination and ingenuity, others were inspired to diversify and before long Starkville and Oktibbeha were widely known as the dairying center of the South. The reputation traveled and in 1912, a cooperative creamy was established to process the locally produced dairy products. The action would eventually lead to the selection of Starkville as headquarters of Borden Inc., the first condensing plant in the South. The years have been kind to Starkville and Mississippi State University. Its people have thrived on the bounty of the land and the products of its industry. Hundreds of churches provide a strong spiritual foundation, and the bustling retail community serves the needs of the citizenry. From its early days as a Native American settlement to today’s culture of “Southern born and bred” combined with the brightest of over 91 countries studying and teaching at MSU, the community has become a melting pot of service, ideas, energy and research. n
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The Bug Man
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Frank Davis brings national recognition to MSU entomology research
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BY JOE LEE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
r. Frank Davis’s crowning accomplishment might have taken place in 2005, when the professor emeritus in the MSU Entomological Department was named an Entomological Society of America Fellow. It has been quite a journey for a man whose life began in the tiny hamlet of Money (near Greenwood) in 1939. A graduate of Greenwood Public Schools, Davis loved the outdoors and spent his childhood and teen years hunting, fishing, and raising steers for 4-H competitions. Those shows were his first exposure to MSU (he stayed in legendary Old Main Dormitory), and he followed his father and brother to Starkville for college in 1957. His major was animal husbandry, but that career path didn’t last long. “In 1958 I found out that the cattle industry had crashed, resulting in essentially no job opportunities,” Davis said. “In 1959 I changed to entomology because I understood there were lots of job opportunities. “I had worked for two entomologists who consulted with cotton farmers about their insect pest problems and enjoyed scouting cotton for insect pests. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed my high school biology class and had become good friends with my biology teacher, who thought I was made for a biology career.” Davis took up the game of tennis in college and was spotted by Coach Tom Sawyer while playing in an intramural league. “I played for Coach Sawyer my junior and senior years and my first year in graduate school,” Davis said. “I remember him saying this about my game: ‘That ole’ country boy has developed into one heck of a good tennis player.’ I thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Bulldogs and getting to travel around the SEC.” The beginning of the new decade – the 1960s – brought two new people into Davis’s life: Dr. Ross Hutchins, the head of the MSU Entomology Department, and Carole McReynolds of Starkville. “I graduated with a B.S. degree in 1961 and did not know what lay ahead for me,” Davis said. “That summer I met Dr. Hutchins on the sidewalk as he was walking back to the biology building from the YMCA building (now our post office). “I asked if he had time to visit with me about graduate school. He told me that he did not, but if I wanted his last teacher scholarship for working on a master’s degree, I could go down to his office and sign the papers – by doing so I would automatically be in graduate school. My stipend was $130 per
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Seated is Alfredo Llecha, a visiting scholar from Spain, who attended the 13th Insect Rearing Workshop. He returned to MSU to work with Frank Davis on the rearing of the black soldier fly.XXXXXXXXXX month. I taught labs just about every afternoon. “Carole and I met in the Starkville First Presbyterian Church on a Sunday morning. She was in the choir and I was sitting in a pew up front. She says that I winked at her – I guess I did, since she was such a beautiful young lady.” The couple married in 1964 and has three grown children (all of whom graduated from Starkville High School) and six grandchildren. “Frank was always very kind, thoughtful, caring and generous as well as a great provider to all of us,” said Carole McReynolds Davis. “He is very religious and begins each morning at his office reading Bible verses. “He has always loved entomology and has a great passion for tiny insects. Many times I’ve seen him take an insect outside instead of killing the tiny bug as it crawls around our home. He is known all over the world for his love, knowledge and expertise in the rearing of insects.” Davis had ample opportunity to leave Starkville as his graduate program came to an end but chose to make MSU his permanent teaching and research home. “A rather strange thing happened right at the end,” Davis said. “Dr. Hutchins came to the door of the little office I shared with two other students. He had a hammer in his hands, and he raised the hammer and said, ‘Frank will you accept a National Defense
Educational Fellowship Scholarship to work on your Ph.D. here at MSU?’ I thought if I said no he just might hit me with his hammer, so I said, ‘Yes, sir.’” Davis did the research for his doctorate on the biology and ecology of the southwestern corn borer, a major corn pest in Mississippi. He was only 25 when he received his Ph.D. “Just before I graduated I was offered a job with USDA/ARS (the United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service),” Davis said. “There were 10-12 USDA locations that needed an entomologist and I could pick the one I wanted to work at. They included Montana, Idaho, Indiana and Louisiana, but I have never regretted saying yes to MSU.” Davis went on to work 35 years for the USDA/ARS and taught as an adjunct professor in the MSU Entomology Department. Although he loved Starkville, he became concerned enough about the look and feel of the downtown area by the onset of the new millennium to get involved in local politics. “I served on the Starkville Board of Aldermen from September 2000 to June 2005. I also served as vice-mayor,” Davis said. “Perhaps our best completed project was restoring a dead downtown Main Street. This was at a time when some Mississippi towns suffered tremendously from decaying downtowns. A good example is Greenville, where theirs is pretty much in ruins. I did not want Starkville to suffer this fate. “A big dealer from Memphis gave the city the property where the town’s first Walmart was built on Highway 12. It’s now a bowling alley, and we sold it to them for a million dollars on a motion I made. We decided to use $800,000 to revitalize our downtown. I worked hard with our city engineer to develop a suitable plan for redoing Main Street and building new walks with areas designed for planting trees and seasonal flowers. “Before we started, there might have been two cars parked on Main Street after 5:30 p.m. Now you have a hard time finding a parking spot from 8 a.m. to midnight. I think this project may be the best one to have occurred in many years. It finished on time and did not cost the city taxpayers a single dollar, if I remember right.” Davis has traveled to Argentina, China, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa to help entomologists in those countries learn how to rear high-quality insects for their research. While doing so he made a crucial discovery: there was no formal education in insect rearing being offered by colleges and universities. So he decided to do something about it.
“In 1999 some of our entomology professors began to seriously put together a plan for the creation of an MSU Insect Rearing Center. It would rear high quality insects for research, conduct research to improve insect rearing technology, and provide insect rearing education through a week-long workshop,” Davis said. “To help make the vision of an Insect Rearing Center become a reality, I decided to retire from USDA/ARS after 35 years of service. “We presented it to the entire team of entomology professors, and our plan passed with only two ‘no’ votes. Our department head at the time, Dr. Clarence Collison, took our plan to Dr. Vance Watson, the vice president of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine to see if he would buy into it. Vance did – to the tune of $100,000 – and later invested another $100,000 to complete our needs for state-of-the-art rearing facilities. Vance has told me that this investment was one of the best he ever made.” In early 2000 Davis and his colleagues began preparing for their first workshop. They caught a break when USDA/ARS and CABI (the Center of Agriculture and Biosciences International, a non-profit organization) contacted them about putting together a workshop for scientists around the world. “They were working on the dreaded coffee borer, which none of us had ever seen,” Davis said. “They wanted me to coordinate the workshop, and I agreed to their offer. Even with this obstacle of not knowing anything about the coffee borer, I suggested we talk to the group about the basic principles and procedures used to rear insects under laboratory conditions. My idea worked, so we used the same idea for our insect-rearing workshop, now known as ‘Principles and Procedures Used to Rear High Quality Insects.’ “We decided to lecture on nine critical areas in order to have a successful program: production system, nutrition and diet, environmental biology, microbial control, facility design, quality control, population genetics, facility personnel management and health and safety. Our lecture team consists of four adjunct professors, four regular MSU staff members and four outside experts in insect rearing. “We have outstanding lecturers from Cornell University, the University of Florida, USDA-ARS and the largest chemical company in the world, BASF. In the fall of 2000 we had two workshops because of the large number of people who wanted to attend. Our workshops are limited to only 26 students per workshop, which is to allow for hands-on labs.” “You cannot have a quality research pro22
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gram without quality insect production and Frank’s expertise has been an important resource for so many entomology researchers,” said Dr. Laura Higgins, an entomology researcher at Pioneer Hi-Bred for two decades. “Pioneer has sent many researchers to Frank’s Insect Rearing Workshop because it is training that isn’t available anywhere else in the world. He is passionate about this field and about research – this world is a better place for him being in it.”
Algae can be added as a component to the black soldier flies’ larval diet to provide the larvae with good fatty acids. Davis said that some of his colleagues, while wishing him well, wondered if interest in the seminars (and the notion of insectrearing itself) would dry up after a couple of years. Quite the opposite has happened, though, leading to the publication of a textbook in 2009 entitled, Principles and Procedures for Rearing High Quality Insects. Edited by Dr. John Schneider of the MSU Entomology Department, the book is available at the Harvard University library and has sold in Denmark, Switzerland, New Zealand, Finland and Russia among other countries. “Frank refers to nearly everyone as his ‘friend,’ and he seems to know nearly every everyone. Working with him is like looking up into a clear, blue sky and feeling anything is possible,” said Schneider, who has known Davis since 1979. “He fosters teamwork by his own optimistic attitude and friendliness. If someone believes a different direction is better, Frank does not overreact, but allows natural
consequences to decide the matter. Whatever the outcome, he almost always remains on good terms with the other person.” Dr. Pritam Singh worked for many years at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand and gave a presentation at the 2006 insect-rearing workshop. A 50-year friendship with Davis prompted Singh to donate his entire personal research library of books and papers on insect rearing to MSU to increase the value of the annual event. The Pritam Singh Insect Rearing Library is located in the basement of the Clay Lyle Entomology Building next to the Insect Rearing Center. “I met him for the first time at a conference in Atlanta, as best I remember,” said Singh, who is now retired and lives in San Antonio, Texas. “He’s honest, open and friendly; he’s a great team leader and brings people together. He shares, and he gives credit to anyone who contributes in the workshop.” This year’s seminar is the 15th and what Davis calls the Celebration Year. Far more than just a workshop these days, researchers and attendees will enjoy a catfish social at the Noxubee Refuge, a barbecue social at The Bull Barn on the MSU campus and a celebration dinner in the main foyer of the Clay Lyle building. “The success is due to our wonderful teamwork,” Davis said. “As the leader of our workshop, I am truly blessed with a premier lecture team, outstanding administrative assistants, highly supportive administrators, our van drivers and the good folks who prepare the delicious Southern foods for our guests, and my sweet wife, Carole, who helps with our socials and serves as a tour guide around the MSU campus.” A tremendous honor for Davis came at last year’s workshop when Dr. Gregory Bohach, MSU’s current Vice President of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, named the annual event the third most important major accomplishment in the history of the university’s 133 years of existence. “Frank is humble, grateful and appreciative of everyone who thinks so much of his accomplishments,” said Carole McReynolds Davis. “I think all of his hard work and his deep love of his profession is being rewarded to him while he is still on this earth.” Davis has no plans to retire and has high expectations for the black soldier fly. “It will provide the protein portion of the diet for poultry, fish and eventually humans worldwide,” he said. “We’re hoping to have grant money for research and education at MSU within five years. The black soldier fly is what I call a ‘super bug.’ I’d very much like to have a seminar here about this insect.” n
Art professor and renowned artist Brent Funderburk joined the MSU art department in 1982.
On the canvas
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Funderburk brings talent to classroom
BY JOE LEE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN BEAN
SU art professor and renowned artist Brent Funderburk and his twin brother, Michael, both knew what they wanted to do with their lives from an
early age. “I was very nearsighted,” said Funderburk, who’s originally from Charlotte, N.C., and has taught at MSU since 1982. He and his wife, Debbie, a professor of dance in the MSU kinesiology department, have two grown children. “I didn’t worry about the world past 8 or 9 feet – I just thought that’s how everything was – and almost every image I paint is up close. “Michael, instead of examining the sand in the sandbox like I did, looked up at the sky and marveled at the airplanes flying overhead. I became an artist, and he became an architect. We had very different visions – he’s more analytical; I’m more conceptual – but we’re both in a visual field.” Funderburk’s primary mentor was Edward Reep, under whom he studied at the East Carolina University School of Art. Reep, now 94 and a resident of Bakersfield, Calif., still critiques
Funderburk’s work today. “Ed was a World War II combat artist and an amazing man,” Funderburk said. “He taught water colors as a significant, major medium, and wrote a book called The Content of Watercolor. He painted up until he was 90. I hardly remember much of what my other teachers taught me, but I remember everything Ed taught me.” “Brent was one of my first students, and possibly the best student in my life over the 40-50 years I taught,” Reep said. “I sent out a warning to them that it was a no-nonsense class, and Brent worked very hard when he realized I was serious. He tackled every job, always with something unusual and humorous, and is very intelligent. I can’t praise him enough.” After teaching at Nebraska Wesleyan University (and a stretch in which Funderburk couldn’t decide between being a professional artist and an art professor), he joined the MSU art department in 1982. He was the department head from 19962002 and has taught students of all skill levels. One of the most townandgownmag.com
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important courses he teaches these days is Senior Honors Thesis, in which 20 of his students in their final semester receive crucial training for the future. “It’s a professional development course,” Funderburk said. “It’s their final exhibition, how to build a portfolio, how to present their work. They publish a book, they do artwork. I take responsibility for the legacy they need to know about and try to make the course potent.” One of those students is Alexis McGrigg, a fine arts major from Utica with a concentration in painting. She plans to attend graduate school before teaching at a performing arts or magnet school while pursuing her dreams as a professional artist. “I have grown so much from working with Brent in this semester alone,” McGrigg said. “Under his instruction I have uncovered skills in myself that I did not know I had. He trusted me with the management of his class in his leave of absence (while recovering from retinal surgery), and this is not something I took lightly. I can leave this department knowing I’m prepared for the next stage in my artistic career.” Funderburk, who displayed his work in 2010 at one-person shows in Jackson, Charlotte and New Orleans, was named the official artist of the International Ballet Competition that year. In 2012, his watercolor painting, Ascension, won Third Place at the 8th Biennial National Arts Exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gordo, Fla.
Funderburk says one of the most important courses he teaches is Senior Honors Thesis, in which 20 of his students in their final semester recieive crucial training for the future.
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You Knew You Could
Cloudless In 2008 he won Second Place in the 38th Visual Arts Society of Texas Annual National Competitive Exhibition, and in 2009 he won Best of Show in the Mississippi Art Faculty Juried Competitive Exhibition at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel. He has been honored at MSU many times over the years and won the John Grisham Faculty Excellence Award in 1994. His artwork can be viewed at http://www.brentfunderburk.com, and information about the newly released coffee table book of his work, Flying World, is also on the site. “My third love – other than teaching and painting – is Walter Anderson,” Funderburk said. “I was aware of his work before I came to MSU, but once I learned of him, he became one of my favorite artists in the world. Once I got here, I got to know the family, including Mrs. Anderson. I’ve worked with the family at the Mississippi Museum of Art (in Jackson) and the Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs on a number of projects.” “Brent took a very early interest in Daddy,” said John Anderson, the Anderson Museum president and son of the legendary Mississippi artist. “He’s a very poetic person and gives a
very lyrical presentation. He’s developed a rapport that no one else has. He’s a fabulous teacher and the artistic authority on Daddy.” So what drives Funderburk today, after so many years of studying, teaching, painting and impacting the lives of future art professionals? “I am obsessed with the idea of beauty,” he said. “It is what makes us want to move, act and live. Sometimes people don’t realize that; it can become entertainment. But beauty takes us out of the mundane. God’s palette is crazy – and drives me crazy in a good way. God is a very important part of my work. “Every other day I find out something one of my students has done that makes me proud. I’m thankful for the new technology because email keeps me in touch with everyone. I’ve been teaching 20-year-olds for 33 years. I’m 59 years old but don’t hang out much with other 59-year-olds. Some of my students are in their 50s now. I think the fact that we’re still talking about art at a very serious level – as if we were 20-year-olds – is a very rewarding thing.” n
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InsideOut
A rt in the
Garden
The Nineteenth of May, Two-Thousand and Twelve
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XXXXXXXXXX BY EMILY JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
celebration of the senses with fine paintings, casual crafting and live music will be showcased against a backdrop of lush and colorful gardens this spring when the Starkville Area Arts Council presents its Art in the Garden tours. The tours are scheduled for Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. In case of rain, the event will be moved to Sunday, May 20 from 1-5 p.m. Now in its sixth year, the much anticipated event features five local gardens and one corporate garden on the tour,” said Hellen Polk who is co-chairing the event with Emily Jones. “Master gardeners will be in each garden to answer questions and help the visitors identify plants incorporated into the landscapes. Each garden reflects the homeowners’ creativity and style through the use of garden art and hard features in addition to lovely plant material.” “We’re very excited to have a corporate garden this year with the addition of the Hilton Garden Inn which has generously offered to provide a continental breakfast for the touring public,” she added. Tickets are $15 each and are on sale at the SAAC office, East Mississippi Lumber Company and from members of the SAAC board of directors. They will also be sold on the morning of the event from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Hilton where a continental breakfast will be served throughout the morning. The public will be able to purchase tickets and find ample parking in case they would like to carpool to the gardens. Maps to the properties will be provided. Not all the garden owners claim to be experts, but all demonstrate possession of the proverbial “green thumb,” said Jane Loveless, a member of the steering committee and a master gardener whose garden was on the first tour of gardens in 2005. For more information contact the Starkville Area Arts Council at 662-324-3080.
Featured Gardens:
Mac and Barbara McLaurin 505 Lincoln Green Street
The McLaurins moved into their Sherwood Forest home in 1992 and set about creating an eye-popping garden. Barbara is a master gardener who consulted with fellow master gardeners and members of the MSU landscape architects including her cousin, Jim Perry. Now that the couple is retired from positions at MSU, they enjoy the garden like never before. Most days begin with coffee on the terrace out back where they enjoy watching the changing seasons. Barbara has established a “kitchen garden” at her side entrance where she plants herbs and vegetables. She can also satisfy her love of whimsical garden art which doesn’t interest her husband. townandgownmag.com
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This spring Barbara transplanted old garden plants from her parent’s garden in Philadelphia. Old–fashioned smilax drapes the entryway gracefully. Both dedicated recyclers, the couple installed a compost bin which is flanked by “Limelight” hydrangeas and “Setsugekka” sasanquas. An element of surprise greets visitors in the backyard. Barbara constructed a wall of mirrors behind an arbor which expands the garden visually and doubles the impact of the Lady Banks roses and leucothoe when they are in bloom.
Gary Bradshaw and Stephanie Doane 1212 West Briar Lake Drive
Gary and Stephanie were determined to work with nature when they landscaped their new home in the Wild Briar Subdivision off Sessums Road. Described as a “plant lover’s” dream, the couple had a vision of what the treeless site could become. Today their dream is everything and more than they thought it could be. “The rolling hills had been a cow pasture…but we had a magnificent view of the large lake which is what attracted us,” Stephanie said. “We enjoy the wildlife the lake attracts, in spite of the deer munching on our flowers.” She added that the lake has a healthy population of beavers which can also present a threat to the tender vegetation. The garden is unique among the more traditional urban gardens because the couple raises chickens on their property. “They eat bugs, provide ample fertilization for the garden, and of course fresh eggs,” Stephanie said. “We also enjoy watching their antics.” “We advise gardeners to mulch, mulch, mulch and consider using a pre-emergent weed control chemical….and to spare no effort in soil preparation,” said Stephanie. The results are spectacular. This garden will require a short trip to the countryside, but it will be well worth the drive. 28
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Jimmy and Ginger Carver 309 Green Street
“Jimmy and I are not horticulturists and don’t even know the botanical names of some of our plants,” insisted Ginger Carver whose turn-of-the-century Victorian home is surrounded by a cottage-style garden with many “hand-me-down” plants. The garden is a smorgasbord of delicious ideas. It features a comfortable outdoor living room under a wisteria-covered pergola; a garden shed reminiscent of an early 20th century general store; and six separate water features. Perhaps the most unique fountain incorporates the hose reel first used by the Starkville Fire Department in 1900. The Carvers have the unique ability to create new uses for vintage farm tools, but when Ginger hauled in an old chicken feeder, Jimmy had doubts. In a matter hours it had been converted to a flower planter cascading with color and hanging from the pergola. She has created other creative planters from old funnels, wash pots, and bath tubs. The Carver garden is an excellent example of how to get the maximum impact from a small garden. Some would call it an “idea garden” because of the non-traditional uses of yard art. At every corner there is something to tempt your senses and coax you to dream of ways to adapt the idea to your own garden.
Art in the Garden tours and we’re hoping it will open the door for other businesses to show off their garden features,” said Suzy Turner, president-elect of the arts council and former chairman of the garden tours. Hilton sales director Angela White said the Hilton Garden Inn is happy to support the arts council’s garden tours. “We recognize that the success of our business is directly tied to the success of our community. We are honored to be included on this year’s garden tours and be a part of the beauty, culture and sense of community that it brings to the Starkville-Mississippi State University area,” she said.
Nancy and Guy Hargrove 115 Grand Ridge Road
Like so many people who moved into the Starkville-Mississippi State Community during the ’70s, the Hargroves bought a brand new home in the newly developing Timbercove Subdivision. The garden was a blank palate and the busy couple installed basic landscaping including a few trees, roses, azaleas, hollies and ferns. For added interest, they installed a brick wall in the back garden along with brick planters on the patio. In 1976, Nancy received a Fulbright grant to teach American Literature in France. They rented the home to an Industrial Arts teacher at the high school, who built a beautiful deck in the area enclosed by the brick wall in exchange for part of the rental fee. During the ’80s and ’90s, the couple added a privacy fence, a pergola and a playhouse and tree house for their grandchildren. Their focus over the past 10 years has been the addition of seasonal color and a water feature which makes use of the natural contour of the property. It mimics a bubbling mountain stream. Guy will celebrate his 80th birthday on the day of the tours. He said having visitors in his garden will be a great way to mark this milestone day.
The Hilton Garden Inn 975 Highway 12 East
The 103-room property was built in 2009 and offers 24hour food service, weight room and indoor pool among its many amenities. The hotel’s landscapers are busy designing and planting a lush container garden among other additions to the courtyard off the main lobby. “This is the first year to have a corporate participant in the
Don & Danya O’Bannon 623 South Wedgewood Rd
The O’Bannon garden has seen a lot of living since 1991 when they built their home on the northern edge of the Starkville Country Club. They are continually tweaking the landscape to facilitate their fondness for entertaining. Shortly after completing the home, Danya was drawn to a gazebo design in a garden magazine. “I showed the plan to Don and he decided we should make the gazebo larger and add some hard features.” Today they enjoy the sprawling gazebo with two stone patios. Brick walkways were added three years ago and a dry creek and bridge were added at the same time they built the gazebo. “Many play practices, football games, and 4th of July celebrations have taken place in our backyard,” Danya said. “For three years we’ve had a fox den under our gazebo and we’ve enjoyed many nights of listening to the kits and their parents communicate.” The landscape features many woodland plants to accommodate the dappled shade throughout the garden. The handsome iron gate leading to the outdoor living room was a purchase at an antique auction. The O’Bannons said their style of gardening is “See it. Like it. Plant it.” So far, it’s worked well for them. n townandgownmag.com
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Kathryn Davis was commissioned to design the windows in the stair towers during the renovation of the old Henderson Junior High building.
Stained glass art Davis molds melted glass into beautiful windows, crafts 30
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BY JOE LEE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
any people handle glass the way they hold infants or newborn kittens and puppies. Not Kathryn Davis of Starkville, a member of the Mississippi Craftsman’s Guild and the owner of Alley Kat Glass. She heats it, cools it, and molds it into beautiful and fascinating objects which have been displayed all over Starkville for years. “I took my first stained glass course in 1984 just for fun. I really didn’t have a mentor – I just loved working in the medium,” said Davis, an Ackerman native and a 1977 graduate of Ole Miss who taught school after college. “I had always loved colored windows, especially after traveling in Europe while my first husband was in the Navy.”
Davis estimates that she spends nine hours on stained glass a day and works early in the morning, at night, and on weekends. She uses warm and melted glass while making wind chimes, and cold glass when making stained glass windows – lead is used to join the channels together, and Davis wears a dust mask to keep from being exposed to old lead. One of her most popular items is the hummingbird, which she says takes about five hours from start to finish. Wind chimes are also very popular. Making them – with 15 in the kiln at once – takes 2-3 days and includes a total of about 10 hours in the kiln. The propro cess includes cutting the glass, layering it to exact specifications, and stringing up the chimes afterward. “We moved to Starkville in 1985 and I decided to try my hand at a glass business when we divorced,” Davis said. “I began Alley Kat’s Glass in 1992 in an alley off Wood Street where Holiday Inn Express is now located. I moved to Lafayette Street a couple of years later. “In 2001, I finally moved to a home studio. The economy was taking a turn for the worst, and it was a good time to move. I have been very happy working from home and I don’t think it has slowed down. I have recently been doing more remodeling jobs than new construction, but that is fine.” The hummingbird Davis creates turned out to be the basis for a long-term friendship with Lori Latham, who has worked for Com-munity Counseling Services of Starkville for over two decades and finds employment for individuals with disabilities. “I met Kathryn in 1996, and she was willing to take us on,” Latham said. “I learned to cut glass and go through all the steps to make hummingbirds, which is a big seller for her. She gave me inspiration and guidance on an idea I came up with: to get the disabled individuals attending CCS to make mosaic pieces to sell. “Kathryn helped us get exposure by getting us into the Mississippi pavilion in the Atlanta Gift Mart, where retail stores go to shop. We did several other trade shows together, selling her stained glass products along with the mosaic pieces made by the individuals I worked with. “She was told about QVC doing a feature on Mississippi prodprod ucts, and we qualified for one of the 20 available spots they had. She worked endlessly with me and my individuals and always treated them with kindness and dignity that they deserve. I think the world of Katherine as a person and as an artist.” Davis’s work can be found in Starkville at First Methodist Church, Bulldog Deli, Rosey Baby Restaurant, the Starkville Public Library, and at the Sanderson Center at MSU, where there are four stainedglass figures depicting areas of activity. She’s contributed glasswork to many bathroom and kitchen windows in the area, churches in the surrounding four counties, and even the president’s home on the MSU campus. When the old Henderson Junior High building on Highway 82 was remodeled in 2010, Davis’s stained glass was installed in the two stair towers. “She was great to work with, and it was great to utilize a local artist,” said Briar Jones of Thomas Shelton Jones and Associates, PLLC, the architectural firm that handled the building renovation. “Each tower had 11 or more panels of 30 by 48 inches, so we’re talking about a lot of glass. “We were familiar with Kathryn before the project through her membership with the Mississippi Craftsman’s Guild—she’s respected at the state level—and her work with the Starkville Area Arts Commission and the Cotton District Arts Festival. The school district agreed that it would be great to commission her to do the work. In addition, Davis’s work adorned nine textbook covers (representing nine different states, including Mississippi) for 4th grade students that were published by McGraw-Hill in New York City before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Davis’s work can be fou nd in
homes and businesses around Starkville.
“People know about you when you’ve been in business this long,” Davis said. “They bring me a lot of glass out of antebellum homes from Columbus and West Point, glass that’s 100-150 years old. The fun thing about stained glass is that when I’ve finished a piece, it lives somewhere else. No two pieces are ever the same.” Davis has sold her work in the Mississippi Pavilion at the Atlanta Gift Market and said the exposure was crucial—people came through from all over and placed orders for folks around the world. She has met the family of the late Mississippi artist, Walter Anderson, and she displayed her glassware at the Cotton District Arts Festival of Starkville and Double Decker of Oxford. She’ll be at the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs in November. She has even taught about working with glass at Starkville Academy and says college students inspire her. Davis and her husband, Fred, a contractor based in Starkville who retired from the Starkville Public Schools District and the National Guard, have five children between them. “Fred has been very supportive and assists with hard installations,” Davis said. “We have collaborated on many projects for our home. He does woodworking and metal working and we have made some cool projects. My children have always been very supportive of me and have done lots of science projects involving glass fusing. They are always happy to give Alley Kat’s Glass as gifts and I am glad to help them out. “The process of making a stained glass window has not changed much. Only the tools have improved with 27 years of working with the medium.” n townandgownmag.com
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Winning team players for 2011 Golf Classic - Shaw Nickles, Jonny Fair, Jack Riekhof and Sterling Dahl.
Habitat Classic is May 18
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BY JOE LEE | PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED
ynn Phillips-Gaines of Starkville and her husband, Russell, think so much of the Starkville area Habitat for Humanity chapter that when they got married, they asked friends to make donations to the charitable organization rather than buy them fine china, place settings, and other traditional wedding gifts. “We dedicated the Phillips Financial House several years ago to Sam and Pinks Dudley,” said Phillips-Gaines. “They and many other families at Trinity Presbyterian Church have really been the face, hands, and arms of Christ over the years, putting sweat equity into projects such as the Habitat homes.” Phillips Financial Services is the title sponsor of this year’s Habitat Classic Golf Tournament, which is set for Friday, May 18 at the Starkville Country Club. A close friendship between Phillips-Gaines, Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Freddie Rasberry and Starkville resident Myles Carpenter is crucial to the success of the event, which is in its ninth year. “Myles and I worked together on a golf tournament in the 1990s sponsored by Kroger that benefitted the American Heart Association,” Phillips-Gaines said. “A couple of years after it folded, I was asked to help with this one. I said that if Myles was working on it, I would. Myles is the reason the golf tournament is so successful.” “I work with the Habitat board (of directors) on logistics and sell hole sponsorships at $150 each. I’m a volunteer on the day of the tournament,” said Carpenter, who retired from the MSU Cooperative Extension Service in 1991. “I set a goal to sell 100 hole sponsorships, and I stay in touch with Peggy (Branch) at the Habitat office. My advice to board members is to go out and sell face to face – not over the phone, where people can turn you down easier – and to follow up. If they won’t buy a hole, see if they’ll buy a door prize or make a donation for the silent auction.” “We’re continuing to grow. We’re finding new people to con-
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tribute,” Rasberry said. “We have volunteers of all ages. Most are (MSU) students. Many classes are looking for service hours from students. It’s a benefit to them, and certainly to us. Many come to us and have never done any sort of service. We train them, and by the time they leave they’re giving orders.” The Starkville area Habitat for Humanity builds three houses a year. All are 1,200 square feet and require as many as 500 volunteers and 2,000 hours of labor. The organization has built 47 homes for needy Starkville residents since 1986. In addition to a continuing demand for volunteer labor, there’s a tremendous ongoing need for financial donations. “We’ve picked up people like Lynn, who has a heart for helping people,” Rasberry said. “Phillips Financial, Cadence Bank, First Presbyterian Church, First Methodist Church, and MSU all give $20,000 a year.” Every penny donated goes toward building materials for future Habitat homes. “We put our budget out there,” Rasberry said. “There’s very little overhead. We have no secrets. If you want to know where your money goes, all you have to do is ask.” “We have one of the best-run Habitat for Humanity programs anywhere,” said Phillips-Gaines, who a year ago created Starkville Bridges Out of Poverty, a community organization dedicated to eliminating poverty in Oktibbeha County. “Freddie and Peggy have done an exceptional job.” In addition to the silent auction, this year’s Habitat Classic will feature two closest-to-the-pin contests and one longest-drive competition. The format is a four-person scramble. The registration deadline is May 8, and registration the day of the tournament is from 7:30 – 8:15 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30. The cost is $75 per golfer or $300 per team. n Visit www.starkvillehabitat.com for more information or call 662-324-7008.
EatDrink
Run for the Roses
Junior Auxiliary to host 2nd Annual Kentucky Derby Party
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Junior Auxiliary members are hard at work on the 2nd Annual Kentucky Derby Party to be held May 5 at the home of Larry and Janet Mullins. Pictured are: Donna Rupp, public relations; Kerri Wardlaw, JA president; Meredith Martin, chairman of events; and Natalie Langston, party activities committee.
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BY EMILY JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
ll eyes will be glued to the television set on the first Saturday in May when the gates burst open and 12 thoroughbreds thunder toward the finish line. The 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5 is billed as the “fastest two minutes in the world of sports.” More people attend the “run for the roses” than the Super Bowl and World Series combined. While the 1-1/4 mile equine contest consumes the city of Louisville, Ky., the broader appeal may be the pageantry surrounding the event. It’s a great excuse for a party, and Starkville’s Junior Auxiliary has cooked up a way to capitalize on the event to raise funds for its myriad of projects – all aimed at improving life for children in Oktibbeha County. The organization’s 60 active members will stage the 2nd Annual Kentucky Derby Party on May 5 at the home of Larry and Janet Mullins on Highway 12 West. Everyone is invited to attend, said Meredith Martin, co-chair of the event along with Jamie Elliott. “Last year’s party was the talk of the town. We had approximately 250 guests, and we’re preparing for more this year,” she said. “Women dress up in their Southern finery, including lots of flowered dresses and wide brimmed hats, while the men favor light-colored seersucker suits topped off with the traditional derby.” Following a fashion parade, prizes are awarded for the women’s Best Derby Hat and the Most Dapper gentleman’s attire. “The
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Kentucky Derby is a chance for every female to express her inner Southern belle, so take note and don’t hold back when planning your party hat,” said Martin. The party begins at 4 p.m with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served pool-side. Naturally, the traditional mint julep, the official drink of the Derby, will be on the menu along with cuisine usually reserved for Kentucky’s elite. Music will be provided by the Party of Four, featuring musicians Jeffrey Rupp, Jim Beaty, Earl Six and Drew Dieckmann. Guests will enjoy lawn activities including croquet and horseshoes, while many will stroll over to the betting station and “pick their winner,” said Martin. “The ‘picks’ are numbered according to the horses in the race, but each represents a Junior Auxiliary Project.” “For example, you can put $20 on Horse Number One, which is J. A. Pals, our mentoring project in the schools. If your pick wins, you take home cash, and the remainder goes to our service projects.” At 5 p.m., everyone will crowd around the big screen to watch and race and cheer on their horse. A thoroughbred race horse and jockey, decked out with the traditional blanket of roses, will be available for photographs with the guests. The Starkville Rose Society will provide the roses from homes and gardens around town to adorn the tables at the party. Beautiful pinks, reds, whites and yellow roses are the highlight of the event, said Martin.
“The ladies of JA are committed to being active community participants and leaders,” said Kerri Wardlaw, Junior Auxiliary president. “Our focus as volunteers is to help better the lives of the children of Oktibbeha County, and we hope this event will be a fun way for the community to help us achieve that goal.” She said the success depends on the generosity of sponsors as well as ticket sales. “The Derby Party is a way for us to let the community see who our sponsors are and how very appreciative we are of their support of our organization.” This year’s sponsors include Martin Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Coca-Cola bottling, A1 Package Store, Vitality Skin and Day Spa and Casey Skelton Companies. The Junior Auxiliary has already raised more than $30,000 this year to support its nine major service projects such as Adopt-A Class, Child Assistance, Safety Town and Cotton District Arts Children’s Village. The Kentucky Derby party is open to the public, and tickets may be purchased for $40 each from any JA member or at the following Starkville businesses: Cadence Bank at 301 East Main Street, or Thyme at 402 Lampkin Street. n For more information, or to purchase tickets for the Derby Party, call Martin at 662-769-7910.
The Kentucky Derby Menu Shrimp and Grits Pork Tender loin with Henr y Bain Sauce e Mississippi State Cheese Plat Cucumber and Goat Cheese Sandwiches Julienned Vegetables with Ranch Dressing Fr uit Kabobs Lemon Squares Miniature Derby Pies Kahlua Brownies
Miniature Derby Pies For crust: 1 (5 1/3 oz.) packet graham crackers, crushed (about 1 2/3 c.) 1/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. butter or margarine melted For filling: 1 stick butter, melted and cooled 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 3/4 c. chocolate chips 2 eggs Preheat oven to 350. For the crust, combine the first 3 ingredients, mixing well. Divide mixture and firmly press into mini muffin tin. For the filling, mix flour and sugar. Stir in cooled butter. Add eggs and blend until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into individual graham cracker crusts, about halfway full. Bake 25-30 minutes or until it is set. When cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate.
Henry Bain Sauce This sauce was formulated by the legendary head waiter at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Ky. He created his famous sauce for both steaks and game. Club members liked it so much that they would bring their kills to the club after a day of hunting in the nearby woods along with potential members as a recruiting tool. To this day, it’s a favorite at the Derby. 1 (9 oz.) bottle chutney, finely chopped or food processed 1 (14 oz.) bottle ketchup 1 (12 oz.) bottle chili sauce 1 (10 oz.) bottle A-1 1 (10 oz.) bottle of Worcestershire sauce Hot sauce to taste, around 1/4 c. Blend all ingredients together well and serve with pork tenderloins.
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Fresh produce Starkville’s Community Market opens May 5 36
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BY EMILY JONES
hat could be better than a ripe tomato picked at dawn and teamed up with lettuce, bacon and mayonnaise on two slices of white bacon bread? BLT season is just around the corner, and the Starkville Community Market is preparing to open on the first Saturday in May. Shopping from local growers has more perks than just finding the freshest produce in town. Locally grown food can bring more money into the community, reduce the costs of food shipment and create a congenial community atmosphere. With that in mind, a few visionaries are enthusiastically promoting the Starkville Community market located on the corner of Jackson and Lampkin Streets. They’ve been tweaking their policies, adding interesting features to the market and building a Starkville Community Market is open each Saturday from 7:3 loyal customer base. submitted) 0-10 .a.m. from May 5 until Lab or Day. (Photos The market officially opens for business on May 5 and will continue until Labor Day. The hours are 7:30 – 10 a.m., and it’s wise to get there early for the plumpest tomato, the freshest berries or muffins still warm from the oven. There are a few ground rules: 75 percent of a vendors’ produce Each Saturday morning during the summer months, the must be locally grown, and vendors selling baked products must Starkville Community Market comes to life bright and early with have ServSafe certification from the State Health Department. tents and tables providing colorful produce, handmade crafts, Lynn Berch and her daughters Kristina and Marlaina operate baked goods and homegrown live entertainment. one of the most popular booths at the market. They are busy get“It’s more than just a farmers market,” said Alyson Karges, man- ting ready for opening day, preparing their special sauces – all made ager of the market which is entering its fifth year of operation. “It from fresh produce from the garden. Their fresh lemonade is also a serves a growing interest in local produce and arts and crafts, and best seller, especially on a hot summer day. it adds an exciting flavor to downtown Starkville each Saturday “We also bake sweet and artisan breads, and we can’t make morning.” enough. We sell out every Saturday,” said Lynn. “The good thing is City Alderman Jeremiah Dumas and Tammy Tyndall Carlisle that we have such a large repeat business and know what items our are credited with getting the project off the ground. The market customers are looking for.” opened in 2008 on Lafayette Street with eight vendors. The second Berch noted that the movement toward eating locally grown year, vendor numbers grew to the twenties, and traffic picked up foods is exploding nationwide for health reasons, superior flavor noticeably with some vendors running out of products by 9 a.m. and reducing the cost of transporting food from distant locations. The addition of live music and children’s activities has made the The average bundle of spinach, head of lettuce, or a bunch of carmarket the Saturday morning place to be. rots often travel over 1,800 miles to get to a consumer’s table, when Karges and her husband, Dylan, have stepped up to take the local versions of this produce may be as close as 10 miles. market to the next level. Most produce in the US is picked four to seven days before be“Through the generosity of Andy Gaston of East Mississippi ing placed on supermarket shelves and is shipped for an average Lumber Company, the current site was made available rent free,” of 1,500 miles before being sold. Those distances are substantially said Alison. “Also, Danny Coggins of Gulf State Manufacturers longer when considering produce imported from Mexico, Asia, generously provided all the materials and skilled labor to build the Canada, South America and other places. pavilion, retaining wall, and railings. Any grower, baker or craftsman is welcome to apply for a booth. “Our goal was to use reclaimed materials in constructing the All craft items must be handmade and go through a jury process site,” said Alyson. “Design students from Mississippi State Univer- before they can be sold at the market, and produce vendors will sity prepared the preliminary plans and built the unique fencing require a site inspection. from scrap sheet metal provided by Gulf States. There is an initial one-time $15 application fee, and a seasonal “We hope to be able to build a second pavilion that will have a fee is available for $135. n seating area in the shade and an art installation on the lower platform of the site.” Almost 30 vendors set up each Saturday in 10’ x 10’ spaces, pay payFor more information, visit http://www.starkvillecommunity http://www.starkvillecommunitying only $10 a week for the space which must be reserved in ad- market.org to find applications and rules and regulations, or call vance. Karges at 662-769-1033. townandgownmag.com
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Outdoor Cooking Mimmo Parisi shares wonderful family recipes from Puglia
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BY JANE ANNA HARRIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
immo Parisi said he has always been a Southerner. Now, as to whether he was referring to southern Italy or the southern U.S. would all depend on what time in his life he is referencing. Parisi was born and raised in the Puglia (or Apulia in English) region of Italy, located in the “bootheel” of the country, but he has called Starkville home for 15 years now. Puglia is world-renowned for its food – particularly the artfully crafted olive oils and wines produced there. The region is also known for their unique homemade breads and pastas such as orecchiette which means “little ears” and refers to the shape of the pasta. Also, it is no surprise that an area surrounded by the sea on three sides incorporates a lot of seafood into their cuisine, as well as locally grown produce that thrives in the fertile region. Parisi was kind enough to share some of his favorite recipes that he grew up learning to make. One dish, called Le Orecchiette Alle Cime Di Rapa he said is “probably the most definitive dish” of Puglia. “It incorporates all of the cornerstone ingredients of the region with orecchiette, anchovy, fresh tomato and rapini (baby broccoli), and, of course, olive oil. It is what we are known for.” 38
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From a very young age Parisi said he developed a love a food and cooking that was both a family tradition and a way of life. “My mother was a fabulous cook. She would start very, very early in the morning cooking and would pretty much go all day. Sometimes I would be up with her at 4:30 a.m. to help knead the dough and get things going.” He shares this cooking tradition with the community here in Starkville. When he’s not busy running the National Strategic Planning & Analysis Research Center at Mississippi State Univeristy, Dr. Parisi and his wife Michelle are often entertaining at their home and cooking in the custom-built outdoor brick oven that has brought his meals to local fame. “The brick oven gives me a little piece of home right here in Mississippi. The first time it was built, something was just a little bit off, so we knocked it down and started all over.” The second time around it was just right, and ever since then he said the oven has been churning out some of the best pizza he’s ever had. Parisi should know a thing or two about the art of making pizza, as he worked his way through college at a pizzeria in Milan where he learned the tricks of the trade. The secret to a really great pizza
he explained is an extremely hot oven and simple ingredients. His brick oven, powered by oak logs, gets up to a scorching 750 degrees. This high heat gives the perfect crisp to the crust and melds the cheese and toppings together just right, making for a truly delectable pie. (Now, if you are like me and do not happen to have a 750 degree brick oven available, there is a recipe following that is suited for your outdoor grill.) With each delicious Italian dish that Dr. Parisi described to me, he reiterated that it is the people that make Italian food so special, and the love and care put into the meal preparation. His passion for food was clear. As he enlightened me on his cooking techniques, there was no need for precise measurements and tedious instructions for each recipe. It is an art not a science for the true Italian chef. His dishes are put together with an inherent sense of balance among the ingredients, which is the skill obtained from a lifelong journey of cooking.
Orecchiette with Rapini 1 bunch rapini (also called broccoli rabe or baby broccoli), coarsely chopped 2 c. dried orechiette pasta 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 4 anchovy filets 1/2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 Tbsp. chicken or vegetable stock Salt and pepper, to taste Optional: top plated pasta with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese Boil rapini for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Meanwhile, sauté garlic, anchovy, tomatoes and crushed red pepper in olive oil for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Stir in stock, cooked rapini, and a drizzle of olive oil, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat. Transfer pasta and rapini mixture to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serves 3-4.
Homemade Pizza on the Grill
(makes approx. 4 pizzas 8-10 inches in diameter) Pizza Sauce 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1/4 of a medium red onion, very finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. garlic powder Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Pizza Dough 1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast 1 c. lukewarm water 3 1/2 c. all-purpose unbleached white flour, plus another 1-2 c. set aside 2 tsp. salt mixed into 1 c. lukewarm water Combine yeast and water in a bowl. Let the yeast activate for about 5-10 minutes until dissolved and foamy. Slowly add flour, mixing all ingredients together. Mix by hand or use an electric mixer by
attaching dough hook to combine the dough. Gradually add in more flour and a little of the salt-water mixture as needed until the dough is a workable consistency. Knead dough for several minutes until you form a large ball. Separate the dough out into smaller balls (baseball size). Place them on a floured cookie sheet or in a large floured bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or cloth napkin. Place dough inside of a garbage bag, and loosely fold bag closed. Put in a warm spot and allow to rise for about 2 hours. Once dough has risen, knead each ball a little more on a floured surface. Either by hand or with a rolling pin, flatten dough to form pizza crust, gently pulling and pushing out from the center. Crust should be no more than 1/8 of an inch high, or thinner if you like. Toppings: Use any toppings desired, and approximately 1 1/2- 2 Tbsp. sauce, and 1/2 c. of shredded mozzarella cheese per pizza. Oversauceing the pizza will make pizza soggy. Using vegetables for toppings such as onions, peppers, and mushrooms, cook them to your desired “doneness” before topping pizza. Grilling directions: Prepare grill by oiling the grates so the dough will not stick. Turn grill to maximum heat and let it get very hot, for about 15 minutes. Slide the crust without the sauce or toppings on it onto the grill and crisp one side until dough is bubbling up and starting to brown on the bottom for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the crust and evenly sauce the grilled side of the pizza and add desired toppings. Place pizza back on the grill and close to finish cooking the bottom side of the crust for about 2-3 minutes. If the crust browns on the bottom before the cheese has fully melted then remove from the grill and finish it off under the broiler in your oven to melt the cheese. Let pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing, and then enjoy!
Pasta Fagioli
(Serves 4) This is a great quick dish for a week night meal. It is like a luxurious macaroni cheese, with a wonderful texture from the beans! 2 Tbsp. olive oil 3-4 pieces of pancetta or bacon, diced 3 bay leaves 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. black pepper 3/4 c. chopped yellow or white onion 1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken stock 2 c. dried elbow pasta 1 can (14-15 oz.) navy or cannellini beans, drained 1 c. Parmesan style grated topping Milk, optional Parsley for garnish Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Stir in bacon or pancetta, bay leaves, crushed red pepper and black pepper and cook until bacon pieces begin to get crispy. Add in chopped onion, stirring to coat with oil and rendered bacon fat. Keep stirring and let onion begin to soften for about 2 minutes. Add in chicken stock and bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer on medium-low heat. Let this cook and reduce for about 15 minutes. While that is reducing, cook your pasta according to box directions and drain. Add pasta back into the pot you cooked it in and stir in the parmesan cheese, mixing thoroughly. If it is clumpy, mix in a tablespoon or two of water or milk to bring to a creamy consistency. Stir in beans to the pasta. Remove bay leaves from the reduced bacon/stock sauce and mix in the pasta and beans. Garnish with parsley. n townandgownmag.com
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Tablescapes
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2 3 1: Vietri Lace mug and cereal bowl and Baroque salad plate. Giggleswick 2. Fortunata Casa Mia Bianco dinnerware, Mariposa “Glitz� glassware, Nora Fleming napkin/candy dishes. Thyme 3. Vietri Metallic Stripe bowl, saucer, and charger and Sorbetto aqua saucer, mug and plate. Giggleswick 4. Shelia Clark The Pitter Potter Original stoneware. Mak B 5. Fortunata Casa Mia dinnerware, french fry serving cones, Nora Fleming napkin/candy dish, Spiegelau Lager Beer glass. Thyme 6. Annieglass platinum chip and dip, shallow square bowl and dinner plate. Giggleswick
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Oh Baby! Items av ailable at Sprou t
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Hayden Cheatham, Bryce Cheatham and Jace Phillips modeling Hatley rain boots from Giggleswick. 46
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TOP LEFT: Jasmine Roberts models a Trendology crochet top, Event linen shorts and Kiss and Tell brown wedges from Deep South Pout. TOP RIGHT: Victoria Mayhall models a multicolored tank dress from Sisters. LOWER LEFT: Kyle Durkin models a Vintage Savanna shirt, Line Dot Skirt and Molly Gee headband from L.A. Green. LOWER RIGHT: Morgan Daly models a Yahada white flowered dress from Reeds.
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TOP LEFT: Emily Moak models a Ya orange flowered dress and Nine West wedges from Reeds. TOP RIGHT: Ashley Massey models Yahada floral shirt, !it light pink capri pants and Madden Girl wedges from Reeds. LOWER LEFT: Elizabeth Anderson models a Flying Tomato one-shoulder dress and Breckelle’s brown wedges and fedora hat (next page) from Deep South Pout. townandgownmag.com
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Claire’s Style Update
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he 2012 spring fashion season is perfect for those lady-like women ready to hit the streets and show their own individual style. Flirty skirts, flower prints, pastels, tropical inspirations, and high bold heels are setting the trend. Forget last years look of edgy and rugged pieces – keeping the lace-up boots to pair with most all of the season’s styles. Spring is here to bring the “lady” back to the women with tailored shorts and blazers, ’20s dresses, ’70s maxi dress-
es and wide-legged pants, bright print pants and statement jewelry. These are just a few of what Starkville clothing boutiques have to offer from the Fashion Week Dallas runway and other runways in the South. Here are the top latest trends. All looks can be found at local merchants in Starkville. n For more fashion and style ideas go to tur-koiz. blogspot.com.
Claire Massey
Claire Massey is Town and Gown Magazine’s Editorial Assistant. She has a fashion blog TurKoiz (tur-koiz.blogspot. com), is a featured stylist for stylesays. com and a Mississippi State University Fashion Board alumni.
Printed maxi dresses and rompers
Photo courtesy of refinery29.com Blazers
Spring scarfs
Floral blouses
‘70s-inspired sunglasses Brights bags Crochet tops
Wide-legged printed pants Cocktail rings Wedges and chunky heels
Beachy Hats
Statement necklaces
Loafer sandals Open-toed bootie
Pendant necklace
Skinny belts townandgownmag.com
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NearFar
Riley Center’s performers are Something to Talk About
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BY JUSTIN FRITSCHER | PHOTOS SUBMITTED
nergetic country veteran Wynonna Judd will take the stage this month at the MSU Riley Center, one of four performances the Meridian venue has planned for May. The five-time Grammy winner takes the stage May 19 as the denouement of the 59th annual Jimmie Rodgers Festival. Judd, who is also a New York Times bestselling author, is performing with her band, The Big Noise. The 28-year music veteran promises a high-energy show, said Dennis Sankovich, the center’s executive director. “Her performance will be the culmination of the festival,” Sankovich said of different country events being held in Meridian to honor Rodgers, known as the father of country music. Judd’s music is for fans of Patti LaBelle, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. Two days before Judd’s performance, the Riley Center will feature a family show centered on Winnie the Pooh and his fictional friends on May 17. The performance, The House at Pooh Corner, will feature the tale of Christopher Robin. “It’s very economically priced and an opportunity for everyone to come to the Riley Center,” Sankovich said. Also on the lineup is a performance called “Soul Salvation,” which will feature musicians Ruthie Foster and Paul Thorn. Both Foster and Thorn have gospel choir backbones, and they will play together May 5 for the first time in “Soul Salvation.” Their music will blend blues, gospel, folk, rock, country and R&B, and this duo will wow the audience, Sankovich said. “Both are phenomenal artists in their own right, and the two combined will be a terrific show,” he said. In addition to Judd, another country veteran will take the stage in May. Bonnie Raitt will play the center May 8, aligning with the debut of her newest creation, Slipstream. The nine-time Grammy winner has been entertaining audiences for 40 years, and the Riley Center is one of the smallest venues on her tour, giving attendees an intimate experience, Sankovich said. Tickets to Raitt’s performance costs $81-$87. Soul Salvation costs $22-$28; The House on Pooh Corner costs $10-$18; Judd costs $60$74. All four shows begin at 7:30 p.m. The three concerts have a pre-party that begins at 6 p.m. n
Wynonna Judd
Soul Salvation: Ruthie Foster
Tickets can be purchased at www.msurileycenter.com or by calling (601) 696-2200. Soul Salvation: Paul Thorn townandgownmag.com
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{On the Page
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Reading Aloud BOOK REVIEWS BY HELLEN POLK
fter experiencing the beauty and meaning of the spring and Easter season, our thoughts turn to the end of the school year and the highly anticipated summer vacations and activities. May is a busy time of year for most families. Many of our children participate in The “boys of summer” are featured in Brian Lies’s entertaining book, Bats at the Ballgame. In addition to a terrific game, this engaging story features word play and a little baseball history. This is the third in a series of adorable bat books by Lies. So put on your favorite baseball cap and share some “mothdogs and Cricket Jack” with your young ball player. City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems offers not only beautiful watercolor illustrations but a delightful story of friendship and the circle of life. The adventures of City Dog are much like those of children who may go to visit grandparents in the country. He learns many things about the seasons and country living from his new-found friend, Country Frog. But the most powerful lesson is that of the joy of a compassionate friendship. This story may be read by readers as young as first grade, but its touching life lesson is very appropriate for younger and older ones as well. The Llama Who Had No Pajama features 100 favorite poems written by Mary Ann Hoberman, Poetry Foundation Children’s Poet Laureate 20082010. Children love and need to hear the rhythm and rhymes of the English language. When these verses are combined with animals, activities and deliciously silly childhood adventures, children young and old will find this book a treasure to read over and over. What a great introduction to the world of poetry! 56
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summer league baseball and softball. Others swim or play soccer. Whatever the activity, there is usually some travel or down time that is perfect for getting in a good book. So be sure to pack a couple for the children in addition to the snacks and sunscreen! Mary Ann Hoberman has written a number of very short stories for the emerging reader to share with an older reader in You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You. This format for this same-titled series of books has one page to be read by the older person while the next page is read by the younger reader. The result is an engaging opportunity for reading practice and story discussion that is essential for beginning readers. In addition to the short stories, there are scary stories, fairy tales and fables written in the same format for sharing together. In Puzzled by Pink, meet Izzie, a young girl who absolutely hates anything pink! She is just the opposite from her older sister, Rose, who adores everything in that wonderful shade of bubblegum! While Rose plans her all-pink birthday party, guess who plans a very “unpink” party in the attic? If you have a girl’s birthday party coming up, you might get some exciting ideas! What a great new book by Mississippi author and illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy. Another wonderful children’s author and illustrator is Peter Brown. In The Curious Gardener Peter shares his love for the countryside and nature through the story’s character, Liam, a city boy who dislikes his drab surroundings. While out exploring the city, Liam finds a patch of struggling flowers and gets the idea to help them thrive. Along the way Liam’s enthusiasm grows with his plants that begin to cover the whole city. As the back cover reads, this is a remarkable story of “one boy’s quest for a greener world…one garden at a time.” n
{On the Page Reading the Classics
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BOOK REVIEWS BY KATE SALTER
fter April showers, May is the month of flowers - and most of those flowers come beautifully arranged in glass vases sent to our mothers and other important women in our lives on the second Sunday in May, when we celebrate Mother’s Day. Stories of interactions between mothers and their children are central to the plot lines of many major works of fiction, shaping
the lives of the such familiar literary characters as the hideous Grendel of Beowulf to the psychologically fragmented children of William Faulkner’s famously dysfunctional Compson family. Here are few suggestions for novels which very deeply consider the role mothers play in our lives and more importantly, how we as children fit into theirs.
The Light of Evening
In this novel, Irish author Edna O’Brien explores the relationship between a cancer-ridden mother and her daughter, who has moved away from home to the larger city of London. As the story unfolds, readers realize that - not unlike all parent and child relationships - the two women are much more alike than they are different, although neither would admit to that fact, even if they understood it. O’Brien seems to suggest here that the connection between mothers and daughters is in some ways the most difficult. The story reveals the young life of the mother, Dilly, who like her daughter would also do, left her family behind to move to New York City, further highlighting the comparison between both the generations and the times in which they live. Loaded with the same tragic themes characteristic to most all of Irish literature, this novel is one of many of O’Brien’s that strongly indicates her place among the finest major novelists of the 20th century.
Annie John
Told from the perspective of the adolescent Annie, Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John is an exotic series of eight chronologically connected stories set in Antigua which revolve around Annie’s transformation from an adoring, obedient child to a boorish rebel ostracized within her own home. Most of the novel’s conflicts arise from how divisiveness and animosity sometimes sadly seep between and mother and a daughter, throwing the entire relationship out of balance. Each of the eight stories represents and incident that serves as a critical turning point in the mother-daughter relationship. Despite sadness in certain scenes, the book is an overall intriguing read with a natural progression. Plus, the added benefit of reading intertwined short stories is that readers can easily pick the book up and put it down at their leisure.
The Joy Luck Club
One of the most acclaimed novels of the late 20th century, Amy Tan’s 0 is about four Chinese mothers struggling to survive difficult junctures in their lives in the hope of a better future. The Joy Luck Club is an organization formed by the four women and allows them an avenue to share their stories and, through the mere act of storytelling, to momentarily forget their troubles. The mothers hoped that raising their daughters in America and immersing them in “the American way” will afford their daughters more success than they have experienced. They want their daughters to make more informed, individual decisions, rather than to serve tradition and do only that which their mothers before them have done. Of course, however, all of the daughters have inherited more than their fair share of their mothers’ personality and habits, interrupting their mothers’ intentions. Apart from their tendencies toward their mothers’ ways, the daughters also cannot fully ignore their Chinese heritage even when living in America. n townandgownmag.com
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{On the Page
Space Chronicles BOOK REVIEW BY MILTON WHATLEY
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o clear my mind after reading five or six mystery novels, I like to dive into something completely different. I found that recently with the new book by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. In the book, Dr. Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and the person chosen by PBS to pick up the mantle of Carl Sagen and produce the new “Cosmos” series, says that America needs to once more to get into the arena of space flight and exploration. So many ask the question why should our country continue the space program. The shuttle fleet is grounded, we’ve landed on the moon and Mars is so far out in space that the financial cost to a cash-strapped nation like ours seems prohibitive. The under-informed have asked the question, what has been the benefit of the space program? In the 20th century, it allowed men like Glenn, Armstrong, Lovell and many other astronauts to do what explorers like Columbus and Magellan did hundreds of years ago – to fulfill the very human desire to explore what has seemed beyond our reach. Humans, since the beginning of time, have looked to the far distant horizons and wondered what lay out there. Our nation has been there and back, in space. Also, we cannot forget the benefits technologically that have come because of the space program. Tyson writes, “Some of the most revolutionary (and marketable) technology of past decades has been spun off the research done under the banner of U.S. space exploration: kidney dialysis machines, implantable pacemakers, LASIK surgery, global positioning satellites, corrosion-resistant coatings for bridges and monuments (including the Statue of Liberty), hydroponic systems for growing plants, collision-avoidance systems on aircraft, digital imaging, infrared hand-held cameras, cordless power tools, athletic shoes, scratch resistant sunglasses, virtual reality. And that list doesn’t even include Tang.” Our nation, as well as the world, has benefited greatly from space technology. Tyson wonders what new marvels might come to humanity as minds focus on the needs of 21st century space travel. Tyson writes about the countries that are developing space programs of their own, countries like Brazil, India, Italy, Canada and, of course, China. He writes that it may be China and their developing space program that challenges America to turn its eyes once more to the stars. This book covers a broad range of space related topics, such as the possibility of intelligent life in the universe, the Hubble 58
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telescope, should robots be the option instead of human astronauts in future space flights, and whether the moon or Mars should be our goal for a return to space. One of the most interesting chapters in the book is called “Killer Asteroids.” In it, Tyson writes at length about the damage an asteroid strike could do to our planet, as well as what could be done to protect the earth from a potentially devastating asteroid. The reality is asteroids have hit the earth before, and they continue to do so. What he warns about is the asteroid that could cause catastrophic damage. He goes so far as to say that there is one that is projected to come dangerously close to the earth in 2029. Space Chronicles is a collection of Tyson’s essays produced over the last decade. The book reads less like a cobbled-together work or multitude of pieces and more like a cohesive, welldeveloped whole. You might imagine that a book written by a world-renowned astrophysicist like Tyson would be so full of technical jargon that it would make your hair hurt, but here, he writes in such a way that his subject is both accessible and engaging to the lay person. If you have ever looked to the skies and wondered about what is out there or wondered what America’s next step in space exploration should be, you will find this a fascinating read. n
{On the Page
A Legacy of Lies BOOK REVIEW BY SUSAN O’BRYAN
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he Montana mountainside may not seem like the likeliest place to find romance, but it’s a starting point in A Legacy of Lies, a debut novel by Mississippi author Stephenia H. McGee. The novel, released by Desert Breeze Publishing Inc., is categorized as “inspirational” and “modern cowboy.” What it fails to mention is the powerful roles that location and the allure of beautifully described sunsets play in the romance/Christian fiction piece. Sarah Sanders is an stressed-out premed student. Even though she thinks it might be leading her boyfriend Clark on, she agrees to a visit to his family’s ranch – and to meet his parents. Despite her reservations, Sarah feels called to the Montana dude ranch where something is waiting for her. Is it peace? Love? An inner sense that everything will work out? A reconnection with a love of horses and the joy of riding earns her a new friend, Jim, a young cowboy with little experience and an unknown among the dude ranch hands. His gentle way with horses makes him stand out even more in a circle of rough-edged men who seem to prefer pastures to people. It’s that need for seclusion that brought Jim to ranch. A need to escape horrifying dreams, visions of good and evil forces that seem to compete for his very being. When Jim’s mom dies, Sarah unexpectedly befriends him, leaving behind Clark, the ranch and everything sensible. Again, she feels called to be there for her new friend. And it’s Sarah who reacquaints Jim with the power of spirituality, bringing him back to a place of inner strength, a spiritual well that once fulfilled his own mother’s thirst. It’s a soulful trust that Jim needs more than ever as he faces an unloving father and the bothersome unknowns about his mother’s death.
McGee has created a sweet romance that carries a message about faith without being aggressive or preachy. There’s no overly flowery prose, just straight-forward dialogue focusing on a growing acceptance of a higher power. The point is made gradually, building up from a foundation of friendship, concern and a shared love for God’s handiwork – the beautiful Montana mountainside. The author, who holds a Mississippi State University degree in animal science, has skillfully used her experience with horses to create mental pictures of riding through pastures, rescuing endangered calves and learning to appreciate nature’s peace. As her characters recognize, you hear the clearest message when you put aside the distractions. McGee is the chairman of Spirit Horse Ministries in Carthage. A portion of book sale proceeds will benefit the ministries’ programs dedicated to helping foster, neglected, underprivileged and handicapped children. n For more information, visit http://www.spirithorseministries.org.
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{On the Page
Poore Boys in Gray
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BOOK REVIEW BY JOE LEE
any books have been written about the Civil War, but author Ralph E. Poore gives readers something that many of the history books don’t have – a perspective seen through the eyes of a Mississippi family whose sons who left the life they’d always known to defend the Confederacy. Originally from Mobile, Ala. and a resident of Boise, Idaho, Poore writes of his ancestors in Poore Boys in Gray – an e-book now available to Amazon Kindle users – in a way that not only puts readers right there on the battlefield, but takes them behind the scenes of the war effort and describes the heavy toll the Civil War took on so many families. Seen largely through the eyes of Francis Poore, the oldest son of a farming family from Newton County, Poore Boys in Gray begins in the cotton fields as the Poores struggled to make a living in the years leading up to the War Between the States. The first chapter provides crucial discussion of the variety of reasons so many young adult males enlisted – an adventure that would take them far from home, a chance to prove their manhood and the chance to fight for a cause in which many friends and neighbors believed. The Civil War buff will certainly enjoy reliving the battles, which range in location from Corinth to Fredericksburg, Va. to Gettysburg, Pa. What might catch readers off guard, though, is a reminder of how primitive medical care was in those days – just as many soldiers from Union as well as Confederate ranks died of disease and malnourishment as did those killed in action. And it’s a tad unsettling to be reminded that General Stonewall Jackson, who was accidentally shot by his own men, died eight days later of pneumonia. (He was replaced on the battlefield by General Jeb Stuart.)
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There were intense battles in which Francis Poore and his younger brothers “saw the elephant” (a phrase, loosely translated, which means having been part of an exciting, awesome experience), and there were long periods of boredom and lots of homesickness. All three Poore brothers were captured and became prisoners of war before being paroled when the treaty between the sides was signed, and while it was great to head home to Mississippi at long last, Ralph E. Poore goes to great pains to make clear that Francis and his brothers (as well as every young man who served the Confederacy) had deeply mixed emotions about seeing family, friends and well-wishers again – they, after all, had been beaten by Union forces and felt ashamed of themselves. “Poore Boys in Gray” is a slow read in places, but the pace befits the lengthy, drawn-out and heroic sacrifice the Poore brothers and so many others made. n Available as a digital download from http://www.amazon. com, it’s highly recommended for the Civil War historian. Visit http://www.pooreboysingray.wordpress.com for more information or to contact the author.
{On the Page
Forsaking Mimosa BOOK REVIEW BY SUSAN O’BRYAN
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ave you ever wondered how your family’s story might have unfolded? If its southern roots altered the paths relatives took? How the past might have led to the present? Valerie Winn has taken stories she heard from her father and let her imagination weave history and fiction together into a fascinating debut novel published by Dogwood Press. “Forsaking Mimosa” is the story of young man coming of age in the late 1930s amidst hard times in small-town Mimosa, Miss. It’s a tale of the South from a different perspective, a view that caught Dogwood Press publisher Joe Lee’s eye. “There are a lot of things I like about Valerie’s book as a reader,” Lee said about the novel set just before World War II. “She absolutely knocks it out of the park with respect to time and place. You are right there in a little railroad town in Mississippi 75 years ago. Readers are introduced to Max Brinkmann and his siblings. As the oldest child, Max is carrying a heavy load for young teen. He’s got younger siblings to watch, chores to do and Catholic school lessons to finish, but mostly he’s got to stay out of his dad’s way. In Papa Brinkmann’s eyes, Max can do no right, though he’s done nothing wrong. Max just wants to find joy in life, something his dad seems to have forgotten exists. When the Brinkmanns are forced to move from town to a dilapidated farmhouse, Max is more isolated than ever. It’s a time of firsts – some good and others not. Their nearest neighbor is an African-American woman and her son Lazarus. The Brinkmann children are forced to attend an elite all-girls’ Catholic boarding school. It’s an eye-opening experience for not only the Brinkmann chil-
dren, but for the girls at St. Agnes Academy. How can they be expected to learn Latin and lacework when there’s a cute boy in the class, even if they weren’t allowed to talk to him? Some, including Adele, are determined to catch his eye, no matter what. While Forsaking Mimosa is a romance of sorts, it is a more a study of relationships. It calls attention to how actions affect others and the strengths and weaknesses those actions reveal. It illustrates how even the simplest of decisions have consequences, often in the form of unexpected repercussions. The author’s diligent research shows throughout her novel. Situations, locations and characters seem real – they have an authenticity to them that adds to their appeal. Winn has a created a story line that’s believable and open to further development as the principal characters pursue their future. The novel gives Max Brinkmann, Adele and Lazarus room to grow – to dream, strive and cope with a changing world. Racial differences, family crises and future choices all come into play as Forsaking Mimosa characters evolve. Leaving Mimosa and St. Agnes Academy also means leaving the characters’ innocence behind. And for all concerned, moving forward comes with a price. n
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Charles Templeton Ragtime Festival Photography by Laura Daniels
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1. Maridith Geuder, Mike Godwin 2. Connie Templeton, Frances Combs 3. Margot Sims, Diane Capps 4. Bonnie Feig, Donna Wayne 5. Jia Zeho, Jing Wen 6. Barbara Frank, Warren Nybo 7. Linda Hollowell, Barbara Yarborough 8. Lyle Tate, Brad Moreland 9. Jayne Lloll, Lexi Sheppeard, Pat Matthes 10. Sandra Johnson, Ray Johnson, Matt Williams, Amanda McGraw 11. Frank Chiles, Ann Chiles 12. John Marszalek, Jeanne Marszalek, Lindsey Wiseman, Parker Wiseman 13. Stephen Banks, Brayden Banks, Tina Banks, Abigayl Banks 14. Shelly Addy, Noel Addy 15. Christy Finch, Harold Finch 16. Pam Marler, Bobby Marler, Trey Templeton, Laura Marler 17. Alice Shands, Ida Cunetto 64
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Tempeltons Host Ragtime Festival Performers Photography by LEilani Salter
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1. Jeff Barnhart, Brian Holland, David Jasen, Chip Templeton, Sonny Leyland, Martin Spitznagel 2. Jeff Barnhart, Martin Spitznagel, Brian Holland, David Jasen, Sonny Leyland 3. Trey Tempelton, Stephen Cunetto 4. Tommy Coleman, Dean Frances Coleman 5. Martin Spitznagel, Chip Templeton, Laura Marler 6. Debra Fairbrother, Debra Lee 7. Stephan Cunetto, Melanie Harris 8. Frank Chiles, Trey Templeton, David Jasen 9. Frank Chiles, Ann Chiles 10. David Jasen, Susan Jasen 11. Laura Marler, Trey Templeton, Connie Templeton, Chip Templeton
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Everything Garden Expo Photography by Laura Daniels
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Bill Dunlap Reception Photography by Leilani Salter
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Josh Turner Performs at MSU Riley Center Photography by hannah tibbetts
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Wilson Phillips Performs at MSU Riley Center Photography by Laura Daniels
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Country Roads Exhibit Photography by DIVIAN CONNERS
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unWine Downtown Starkville Photography by DIVIAN CONNERS
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Columbus Spring Pilgrimage Photography by Claire massey
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Starkville Garden Club Tablescapes and Tastings Photography by leilani salter
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1. Shelia Flurry, James Farmer, Amy Crawford, Marilyn Tabor 2. Michelle Jones, Susan Street, Lynda Forbus, Lynn Black 3. Kay Barksdale, Charlotte Harding, Sara Wilson 4. Rob Wilborn, Mark Putt, Austin Harris 5. June Wallington, Anita Reynolds 6. Murphy Buckner, Kieran Davis, Sandor Dibble 7. Anne Wilder, Michel Rackley, Laura Marler 8. Sherrie Vanlandingham, Babs Deas, Martha Wells, Nina Rivenburgh 9. Becky Chandler, Anne Mansell, Barbara Norman 10. Dot Hollingsworth, Lanee Ashley, Malanie Crane 11. Graci Sistrunk, Cyndi Rutherford 12. Jane Loveless, Imogene Triplett 13. Vanesha Williams, Ava Moore 14. Mitsy Bailey, Lynn Chanbell, Mary Kathryn Herrington, Kathryn Davis 15. Paula Howard, Fredia Burt, Linda Monehen 16. Folly Holditch, Ann Bell 17. Cori Cater, Giner DeWeese 18. Amy Ford, Elizabeth Hawkins, Kay Hardy 19. Whitney Davis, Jessica Wells 20. Anita Dean, Barbara McLaurin, Ellen Boles 21. Bettie Cummings, Laura Marler 22. Claire Massey, Jessica Bailey, Fenly Akers townandgownmag.com
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International Fiesta Photography by Laura Daniels
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1. Abbi Crump, Kim Crump 2. Sanjhbati Mukherjee, Deep Mukherjee 3. Trey Wallace, Ted Wallace 4. Ann Parker Baldwin, Kate Jolly, Rebecca Jolly, Molly Baldwin, Ashley Baldwin, Mary V Baldwin, Natalie Jolly 5. Francis Tran, Ian Turnipseed, Alex Hoang, Augustine Tran, Haley Nguyen, Chau Nguyen, Nhat Huynh, Kenny Tran 5. Shelby Mathieu, Sara Gill 6. Rui Larson, Daren Williams, James Beasley 7. Ruth De la Cruz, Tracey Nash, David Horton, Phyllis Benjamin, Patrisha Pham, Anna Shelby 8. Joan Mylroie, Armando De la Cruz,Patrisha Pham 10. Kenny Tran, Hien Vuong 11. Bryce Amacker, Bryan Hoang, Khoi Van, Matthew Wong 12. Marco Dates, Adam May, Daniel Austin Fairley, John Cline, Christina Lewis, Ahmad Williams, Chitose Little, Ron’ ald Neoma Myers, Devin Toney 74
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| may 2012
International Fiesta Photography by Laura Daniels
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13. Md Maruf, Abbullah Khaled, Apuro Nandi, Sheika Ahmed, Rita Roy 14. Nuwan Seliva, Nadeema Amyomi 15. Fazle Ahad, Nida Tuz Zohra, Seratun Jannat 16. Shantia Yarahmadian, Sheida Yarahmadian, Amin Kargarian 17. Berra Tor, Secil Tor 18. Dilini Buddhlika, Lakshika Silva, Ireshika DeSilva, Jayani Wewalwela 19. Nisho Tasmin, Ilham Khaled, Sheika Ahmed, Md Roni, Shaheen Ahmed, Md Refat, Rita Roy, Fazle Ahad 20. Julie Johnson, Erika Randle
Symphony Choir Photography by Laura Daniels
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1. James Henley, Marilyn Laird 2. Raymond Barker, Faye Barker 3. Ellen Rankin, Jeri Mangum, Ida Cunetto, Rose Sisson 4. Brenda Garner, Robbie Richardson, Dee Barnett, Barry Barnett 5. Faye Stevens, Grace Ward, Jean Wallis 6. Debby Bland, Janet Bryant 7. Kathryn Ashmore, Audrey Scales 8. Margaret Weining, Rita Land, Frances Windle townandgownmag.com
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Sigma Chi Derby Days Photography by claire massey
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1. William Poindexter, Bailey Owens 2. Colby Gill, Jackson Drew, Kameron Hammond 3. James Morgan, Michael Maueli 4. Brooke Goldman, PJ Williams 5. Beth Culpepper, Josie Culpepper 6. Johnathan Chaney, Eric Estes, Philip Walker 7. Allyn Gaston, Emily Kirkland, Kaitlyn Lincoln, Haley Berryhill, McKinley Ranager 8. Chelsae Kelly, Britney Ditzig, Amanda Pyron 9. Ashley Massey, Anna Morgan, Brie Jordan, Niki Eisgruber 10. Trey Renno, Cory Gibson 11. Megan Creegan, Sarah Barton Cregeen, Annie Cate Cregeen, Robin Cregeen 12. Jennifer Gray, Maegan Gullette, Emily Clark 13. Jennifer Morrison, John Morrison, Zachary Gerhart 14. Megan Singer, Jodie Struminger 15. Rachel Reynolds, Kirsten Billingsley 16. Susan Mitchell, Laura Dichiara, Sarah Mitchell, Abby Kaiser 17. Tommi Westermann, Beka Hott 18. Cade Howe, Molly Longo, Mamie Longo 19. Reid Griffin, Will Heidelberg 76
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| may 2012
Yellowjacket Jam Photography by leilani salter
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1. Eddie Keith, Susan Keith, Lewis Holloway 2. Jenny Turner, Roy Pollard, Keith Coble 3. Susan Tomlinson, Rex Buffington 4. Parker Wisman, Lindsey Wisman 5. Anne Buffington, Slim Smith 6. Walter Gonsonin, Nicole Thomas, Cole Thomas 7. Eddie Myles, Jenny Hazelwood, Johnie Cooks 8. Jewel Smith, Brenda Garner 9. David Hill, Florence Box, Andrew Lark, Larry Box 10. Kristin Edelblute, Kayleigh Edelblute, Alex Edelblute 11. John Herring, Rachel Russ, Timothy Russ, Fran Herring 12. Andrew Mackin, Simone Mackin, Ben Mackin 13. Brother Rogers, Judy Duncan 14. Brooke Kiel, Heather Carson, Ellen Carson 15. Armstrong Middle School cast of GREASE and singer Joseph Houston townandgownmag.com
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Starkville Yellowjacket Beauty Review Photos courtesy of mediagraphix photography
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1. 2012 Miss Yellowjacket Kathryn Stringer, freshman, is crowned by last year’s Miss Yellowjacket Mary Elizabeth Stringer 2. 2012 Miss Yellowjacket Kathryn Stringer 3.Victoria Butler, senior beauty; Mark Anne Hobart, junior beauty; 2012 Miss Yellowjacket Kathryn Stringer; Arbanie Sykes, sophomore beauty; Amber Burns, freshman beauty. 78
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| may 2012
SeeHear NEW Music Releases
BY CLAIRE MASSEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILANI SALTER
May 1 n It All Starts With One by Ane Brun n Trophies by Apollo Brown & Co n Great Ideas in Action by Archie Powell & the Exports n Strange Clouds by B.o.B n Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary by Chino XL n Aufheben by The Brain Jonestown Massacre n Life in Full Colour by Callaghan n The Ghost in Daylight by Gravenhurst n Fear Fun by Father John Misty n Rejuvenation by Juvenile n Light Asylum by Light Asylum n Nootropics by Lower Dens n Kitsune by Marriages n Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones n Body Faucet by Reptar n Out of the Game by Rufush Wainwright n Master of My Make Believe by Santigold n Nightlife by Skip the Foreplay n That Time I Dug So Deep I Ended Up In China by Soso n Blown Away by Carrie Underwood
May 8 n Hovas by S. Carey n Fortune by Chris Brown n Dr. Dee by Damon Albarn n Summer Bodies by Dana Buoy n DROKK: Music Inspired by Mega-city One by Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury n A Different Ship by Here We Go Magic n OFF! by OFF! n OhNoMite by Oh No n Death Dreams by PS I Love You n Neck Of The Woods by Silversun Pickups
May 14 n Gallery by Craft Spells n Not Your Kind Of People by Garbage
May 15 n Bloom by Beach House n The Only Place by Best Coast n We’ll Be The Moon by Fixers n Max Payne 3 by Garbage n Exister by Hot Water Music
MAY
n Space Homestead by MV & EE n Harmonic by PHILM n Words and Music by Saint Etienne n Shape Shifter by Santana n Unpatterns by Simian Mobile Disco n Ufabulum by Squarepusher n Rize of the Fenix by Tenacious D n True by Violens
May 22 n Choice of Weapon by The Cult n In My Mind I Am Free by Blue Foundation n Cancer for Cure by EI-P n Born and Raised by John Mayer n Apocalyptic Love by Slash n Clear Moon by Mount Eerie n CVI by Royal Thunder n The Light of the Dead See by Soulsavers n Eneath The Scars by 12 Stones
May 28 n Island Fire by Gemma Ray n The Mighty Death Pop! by Insane Clown Posse n Magic Hour by Scissor Sisters n Among The Leaves by Sun Kil Moon
LIVE Music Schedule May 3 n Yo Mamas Big Fat Booty at Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern
May 4 n Mingo Fistrap at Historic Downtown Columbus, MS
May 5 n Jimbo Mathus & The Tri State Coalition at Main Street Presbyterian Church n Star & Micey at Market Street Festival Columbus, MS
May 9 n Davis Coen at Anthony’s
May 11 n Good Paper at Mugshots
May 30 n Jeff Norwood at Anthony’s townandgownmag.com
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