Hometown Brandon - Winter 2016

volume 4 number 1
Winter 16/17
A Flood of Relief
______________________
Twin Oaks
______________________
A Brandon Matriarch
______________________
The Band Hall

at soccershots.org
Enroll at soccershots.org
Enroll at soccershots.org
Ages 2+
Ages 2+
Enroll at soccershots.org
Ages 2+
Enroll at soccershots.org
Ages 2+
QUESTIONS? derek@soccershots.org
Ages 2+
QUESTIONS? derek@soccershots.org
MORE MEAT, MORE FLAVOR, MORE...
FrenchDip
NOW BUILT WITH EVEN MORE BLACK ANGUS ROAST BEEF
and melted Swiss on a toasted baguette, served au jus.
QUESTIONS? derek@soccershots.org
QUESTIONS? derek@soccershots.org
1490 West Government St • Suite 5 • Brandon
(601) 824-7465 • mcalistersdeli.com
©2016 McAlister’s Corporation
2 • Winter 2016

FULL DIMENSIONAL STEREO
See Light
THE
THE BESt
JEA OF
01 COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS
02 PEDIATRIC EYE CARE
03 CATARACT TREATMENT
04 OPTICAL BOUTIQUE
05 OVER 1000 FRAMES AVAILABLE
SEE YOUR BEST WITH JEA
©2016 JEA
Hometown Brandon • 3

4 • Winter 2016

Publisher & Editor
Tahya Dobbs
CFO
Kevin Dobbs
CONsulting editor
Mary Ann Kirby
Account Executive
Kati Gaines
Rachel Lombardo
Administrative AssistANts
Alisha Floyd
Brenda McCall
StAFF PhotogrAPher
Othel Anding
Contributing
PhotogrAPhers
Natalie Segrest
Contributing Writers
Camille Anding
Kyle Brown
Charla Jordan
Mary Ann Kirby
Melanie McMillan
Suzanne Ross
lAyout Design & Production
Daniel Thomas • 3dt
• • •
www.facebook.com
/hometownbrandonmagazine
If believing in someone helps to authenticate that individual, count me as a member of the Santa Claus
Club! Even when an older cousin tried to share her “give it up on Santa” evidence, I refused to believe her.
Even when all my 6th grade peers joked about my unwavering commitment, I remained devoted to my
Christmas Eve sleigh rider.
When I became a parent, I still believed, but had made some adjustments. I had become Santa’s helper,
being his ears to help with his wish list and his banker to help with his huge budget. It was the least I could
do for his bringing so many joys to so many children.
I realize he’s not responsible for the true Christmas spirit. We should all know that “Jesus is the reason for
the season,” but we can learn from Santa’s generosity, his smiling countenance, and a reputation that gets
him invited to ride in every parade.
The nativity scenes will always warm my heart and
remind me of the greatest gift ever given to man, but I’ll
always be indebted to that jolly old elf who demonstrates
the beauty and rewards of giving.
I’m so grateful for another productive year with our
advertisers and readers. This issue marks the third
anniversary of Hometown Brandon and I couldn’t be more
thankful for the support. Hometown Magazines carries on
with a fabulous array of faithful clients who make it possible
to share stories about our neighbors, families, and friends.
Merry Christmas from the Hometown Staff!
www.htMags.com
ContACt us at
info@htmags.com
601.706.4059
26 Eastgate Drive, Suite F
Brandon, MS 39042
• • •
Hometown Brandon is published by Hometown
Magazines. All rights reserved. No portion of
Hometown Brandon may be reproduced
without written permission from the publisher.
The management of Hometown Brandon is not
responsible for opinions expressed by its
writers or editors. All communications sent to
our editorial staff are subject to publication and
the unrestricted right to be refused, or to be
edited and/or editorially commented on. All
advertisements are subject to approval by the
publisher. The production of Hometown Brandon
is funded by advertising.
In this issue The Way We Were ....................6
A Flood of Relief..................... 1 0
Hometown Love ..................... 15
It’s a Wonderful Life ................ 18
Twin Oaks ..........................30
The Band Hall ....................... 38
A Print-Worthy Pursuit .............. 50
A Brandon Matriarch ................ 56
Everything’s Coming Up Roses....... 64
Hometown Brandon • 5

The
way
we
were.
Pat & Luke Goodwin
“What have I done and how am I gonna
get out of it?” That’s what Pat Goodwin
remembers saying the minute the judge
pronounced her a married woman to
Luke Goodwin.
Instead of romanticizing about their
love-at-first-sight meeting and Luke’s
proposal at Smith Park in Jackson, she could
only think about her mother’s objection to
their dating less than a year and the talk of
marriage at age nineteen.
When Pat first introduced Luke to her
parents, she hoped that his good looks and
hardworking ethic would be as obvious as
their love for each other. It didn’t go as
planned. Pat’s parents were adamant that
she get an education and marry someone
with an education and a job that would
support newlyweds.
Time was the main ingredient to that
request. Any thoughts of marriage were
dismissed by Pat’s mother.
When Pat returned home and told her
parents she was a married woman, a major
family problem ensued. Pat still recalls the
six months of feeling disowned by her
mother due to no communication other
than an occasional care package her mom
would leave at the front door of their
apartment. An uncle, knowing about the
standoff, told Pat to take the initiative and
make peace with her mom. Pat took the
advice and relationships were restored.
6 • Winter 2016

Luke added, “Her mother and I became best
friends in the years that followed.”
Like all newlyweds, the Goodwins met
with early adjustments. Luke was one of
twelve children who had been taught
thriftiness and constraint with money
matters as a necessity for their large family.
His father’s standard was never buy anything
you couldn’t pay for by the next Friday.
When Luke brought that into his new
family, it translated into “stingy” for Pat.
She was one of three children and had been
raised with an allowance that often went
over its limits and with no consequences.
That lifestyle translated “spoiled” to Luke.
However, their differences were met
with “love and hard work” as Pat described
it, and a marriage rich with two children,
three grandchildren and one great grandchild
has been their reward.
Their early years of marriage included
Pat’s attending business school and a future
career for thirty-four years as secretary to
Senator John Stennis and Congressman
Mike Parker.
Luke worked fulltime while attending
night college classes and earned his degree.
His career was reflected in his hard work
ethic as a leader in the military, and he
retired as a major general in the Army
National Guard.
Luke reflected on the “glue” that held
them together for a fulfilling fifty-four years
and said, “We were truly in love. I could
depend on her support, and our kids and
grandkids continued to bond us.”
Pat, with a twinkle in her eyes and a jovial
laugh said, “It was a standing affirmation on
my part to his commitment to our marriage
– if you leave me, you have to take the kids
and the dog.” That plus a lot of love has
worked beautifully! n
“We were
truly in love.”
Hometown Brandon • 7

8 • Winter 2016

Whether your dental needs include a complete
exam and cleaning, full-mouth restorations,
or anything in between, we promise to provide
you with exceptional care as we enhance the
natural beauty of your smile!
Our Services:
• Sedation Dentistry
• Dental Implants
• Porcelain Veneers
• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Bridges
• Porcelain Crowns
• Root Canal Therapy
• Preventative Dentistry
• Children’s Dentistry
• Teeth Whitening
• Oral Cancer Screenings
• Dentures and Partials
• Restorative Dentistry
• Composite Fillings
• Clear Correct
• Dental Extractions
• Emergency Dental Care
• Periodontal Therapy
Our Dentists:
• Jonathan Germany, DMD
• Lance Welch, DMD
• Brandon Goza, DMD
*Dr. Germany, Dr. Welch, and
Dr. Goza are general dentists.
Our Hours:
Mon : 7:45 am - 5 pm
Tues: 7:45 am - 7 pm
Wed: 7:45 am - 5 pm
Thurs: 7:45 am - 7 pm
Fri: 7:45 am - 12 pm
No Dental Insurance? No Problem!
One Annual Fee, No Waiting Period.
Germany Dental is pleased to offer the Germany Dental Benefit Plan. The Germany
Dental Benefit Plan was designed to give individuals without dental insurance an
affordable solution for the entire family. With this plan, you eliminate monthly
deductibles and only pay when you have dental work done.
WITH ONE LOW ANNUAL FEE YOU WILL RECEIVE:
• Two basic cleanings a year* • No cap • Any X-rays necessary
• No waiting period
• Discounted fees for all dental work
* Not all patients will qualify for a regular cleaning. Call for more details. Certain restrictions apply.
BONUS: Whitening trays for signing up.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP RATES:
• Annual Enrollment $299 • Additional Family Member $100
No matter how long it’s been since your last dental appointment, you’re welcome at Germany Dental.
New and Existing Patient Special
$
50 OFF
Your Next
Cosmetic Procedure
NO CASH VALUE. Patient’s account will be credited with $50 off to use toward
any cosmetic dental procedure including whitening and veneers. Offer can be
used in combination with new patient special. Expires 1/31/2017.
New Patient Special
FREE
Exam and X-rays
Includes complete dental exam, periapical and bitewing X-rays,
and any other service the dentist deems necessary to complete
your exam. For new patients only. Expires 1/31/2017.
2004 Courtside Drive • Brandon, MS 39042 • (601) 866-5709 • thegermanydental.com
Hometown Brandon • 9

A Flood
10 • Winter 2016

of ReliefKyle Brown
The rain started falling across Louisiana in mid-August.
When it finally stopped, parts of South Louisiana and Southwest
Mississippi had been inundated with nearly two feet. Flooding
was widespread across numerous parishes and counties with over
a dozen people dead and over 100,000 homes and businesses
damaged. The footage from Mississippi and Louisiana was horrific.
One person who watched and read about the events was
Brandon resident, Barbara Magee. Mrs. Magee set out on a
mission to help the people of the Baton Rouge area. Barbara
went to the board of aldermen meeting on August 15th with a
simple request–do something to help the folks in Baton Rouge.
She approached Mayor Butch Lee and the Brandon board of
aldermen who were in agreement. The next day, one phone call
to The Salvation Army and Gulf Relay of Clinton set into
motion a collection, the likes of which have not been seen in
Brandon in years. On August 17th an 18-wheeled trailer arrived
in the parking lot of the Brandon Municipal Complex and
donations began to be dropped off.
Car after truck after car stopped in the parking lot of the
Brandon Municipal Complex. Vehicles loaded with donations
of food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products
arrived in droves. Greeting each vehicle were volunteers from
Crossgates Baptist Church, Crossgates Methodist Church,
Mayor’s Youth Council members, and citizens. Cash donations
were also dropped off. The cash donations were used by the
Brandon Mayor’s Youth Council, Brandon Police Department,
and Brandon Fire Department to purchase more supplies at
Kroger, Ramey’s, and Piggly Wiggly who generously supported
the cause.
Donations poured in not only from Brandon but from
across central Mississippi. One surprise occurred when a vehicle
arrived carrying supplies that had been collected by the
LifeFlight-4 team in Brookhaven in conjunction with Pafford
EMS. LifeFlight-4 had gathered donations from students at
Copiah-Lincoln Community College and citizens from
Copiah and Lincoln Counties.
On August 25th a team of Brandon employees followed
the Gulf Relay 18-wheeler down to Baton Rouge. As the truck
crossed into Louisiana the team veered off to the weigh station
to see just how many donations had been collected. Over
23,000 pounds of relief supplies were delivered to Baton Rouge
and offloaded. While some volunteers emptied the trailer, others
began sorting supplies. The donations were instantly put into
use. When The Salvation Army volunteers in Baton Rouge saw
that our items included cleaning supplies, those items went
straight into people’s hands. The truckload of supplies were
offloaded by hand in just an hour-and-a-half.
The appreciation from the The Salvation Army and those
affected was incredible. Thank you to the hundreds of people who
donated both supplies and their time to make a difference. n
Hometown Brandon • 11

12 • Winter 2016

Congratulations to Miss Brandon
Maggie Shoultz & Miss Brandon’s
Outstanding Teen Bethani Grace Alman
Hometown Brandon • 13

14 • Winter 2016

H o m e t o w n L o v e
brandon
Still Brightly Beaming
Marylin Hughes
As the first Brandon baby delivered by Dr.
Richard Schuster in 1958, my foremost memories
of growing up in Brandon were in the early 1960s.
Our population was around 2500 and everyone
knew everyone. There was a sense of love,
family, and security everywhere!
Our tiny town was famously known by our
one red-light at the intersection of College
Street and Highway 80. At 10 p.m. each night, it
would change to a flashing light because of the
lack of traffic. The words of the Christmas song
Silver Bells, “even stoplights blink a bright red
and green”, reminds me of that special red-light.
It also served as the designated directional
point when giving visitors directions, “go to the
red light and turn” or “go through the red-light”.
I still find myself giving those same directions
today but now people ask me, “which red-light?”
My parents built our family home on East
Sunset Drive, formerly known as Lover’s Lane, in
1954. It was the second house built on the gravel
street. There were no homes built on the south
side across from us until the mid-1980s. Our
family Christmas trees were usually beautiful
evergreens found in the woods around our home
until one year my mother decided to purchase
an artificial aluminum tree with a color wheel.
The year our aluminum tree made its debut, the
Brandon Garden Club awarded us 1st place for
Christmas window decorations. Our prize was a
white ceramic tree with multi-colored beads
that glowed from the light bulb on the inside.
That ceramic tree became a family heirloom
that still shines brightly in my home today.
Living on Sunset Drive was very convenient.
Our parameter consisted of a big square with
College Street to the west, Highway 80 to the
north, Highway 18 (now known as Louis Wilson
Drive) to the east and Sunset Drive on the south.
Everything we needed was located in this area.
The post office was located in the current
Frontiers building. The elementary, junior high,
and high schools adjoined each other on the
west side of College Street. We were fortunate to
have our dry cleaning picked up and delivered to
our home by Grantham Cleaners. Our medicines
were delivered by Overby’s Drugs and our milk
was delivered to our door by the Borden’s Milk
Truck.
On the square, furniture and china could be
bought at Thompson’s, groceries at Tigrett’s, and
clothes at Busick’s. Our “Walmart” was a store
named Chadwick’s, where you could find any
and everything. All shops on the square would
close every Wednesday at noon to prepare for
church services that night and of course all day
on Sundays. The Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian
and Methodist churches were within a couple of
blocks of each other. Chimes from our Methodist
Church would play throughout noontime on
weekdays and could be heard while shopping
downtown. At Christmas time, the monument
on the square was decorated as our town’s tree.
Bright green tinsel with huge multi-colored bulbs
stretched from the ground to the top of the
soldier’s head. It was a wonderful sight to see from
all directions as the tree stood over 37-feet tall.
Living in Brandon during those days, meant
most all meals were prepared at home. We only
had one restaurant, Mr. Morris’s Steakhouse. If you
wanted to eat out, you had to drive to Jackson.
Fast food did not arrive in Brandon until my
senior year of high school when McDonald’s
opened by the I-20 entrance ramp.
Another advantage of small town living was
our phone system. All Brandon numbers began
with the prefix 825. The last 4 digits started with
the number 5. We only had to dial the 5 on the
end of the prefix plus the last 4 numbers. Our
number was 5-5339 and our church was 5-5958.
As our population grew, suffix numbers started
to begin with a 2 and eventually over time, dialing
the shortened phone number was discontinued.
I am very fortunate that my husband, who I
met at Ole Miss, chose to make Brandon our home.
It gave us the opportunity
to raise our two daughters
in my loving and caring
hometown where special
memories continued to be
made. We now have the
pleasure of watching our
beautiful granddaughter
grow up in Brandon.
I hope one day that white
ceramic Christmas tree will
glow brightly in her home
reminding her of Brandon
Christmases past.
I encourage everyone to take a stroll down
memory lane by walking on our city sidewalks.
You will still be able to hear our church chimes
ringing, every hour of every day, reminding me
of those precious days long ago.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver bells, silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, Hear them ring,
Soon it will be Christmas Day! ■
Hometown Brandon • 15

Where real faith meets real life!
www.thepointebrandon.com
Sunday Worship 9:00 & 10:45 A.M.
TABLESCAPES
Where real faith meets real life!
www.thepointebrandon.com
November 12
Rankin County Multipurpose Center
Sunday Worship 9:00 & 10:45 A.M.
16 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 17

It’s a
Wonderful
Life
BRANDON
18 • Winter 2016

Brandon Tour of Homes
This is no ordinary tour of homes.
It’s a day-long event that showcases some
of the new homes in the historic district.
We don’t call these subdivisions–they are
new neighborhoods in an old town.
The Leland Law Office has its own story.
The city had sought approval to condemn
the burned building but then we received a
call from the Lelands who wanted to purchase
and restore it for their law office. We were
overjoyed that they were saving a beautiful
brick building.
Emmitt and Janie Collier are welcoming
all of us to tour Brandon Stoneware and
where they’ll demonstrate their talent.
And The Wierhouse is the absolute talk of
the town as Jamie Wier opens up part of the
building to share his vision for this building
and downtown as a whole.
We are also fortunate to have the Rankin
County Museum. If you’ve not visited the
museum–please do so. They have preserved
so much of our area’s history.
The downtown area will be buzzing with a
unique collection of vintage vehicles. It wasn’t
that long ago when Chevrolet dealer May
Motors and Johnny Baker Ford were in the
downtown area and everyone looked forward
to September for the “new models” to be
shown. It was a really big event in the 50s,
60s and 70s.
Zack Bridges will be entertaining us, and
there will be lots of craft vendors. We encourage
you to purchase a few unique Christmas
gifts. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be downtown
and available for photos so bring your children
and grandchildren.
A special viewing at Black Rose Theatre
of their Christmas play “Happy Hollandaise”
rounds out the day’s festivities.
Hometown Brandon • 19

December 10th, 2016
Historic Downtown Brandon
Tour of Homes 9am-1pm
The Home of Ronnie & Jamie White,
The Home of Mike & Julia Whitehead,
Rankin County Museum,
Leland Law Office, Wierhouse,
Brandon Pottery
Ticket $10 adults, 12 and under Free.
Available at Brandon City Hall,
Brandon Library, Bay Window Books,
CoBo’s, Miss Priss, Faith N Candy,
and O! How Cute
Downtown Events
Merchant Bingo
Craft Vendors 10am-4pm
Vintage Automobiles 10am-2pm
Mr. & Mrs. Claus 1pm-3pm
(bring children and camera)
Music by Zack Bridges 12-4pm
Brandon Fire Truck
Black Rose Theatre Presents
Happy Hollandaise 4:30pm
Remember When Café will serve lunch
11am-2pm
Visit www.brandonms.org
or Brandon Historic Preservation
Commission on Facebook
For more information contact:
Penny Schooler 601-955-5009
Co-hosted by Brandon Historic
Preservation Commission and
Brandon Historical & Genealogical Society
Additional Sponsors:
Bay Window Bookstore,
Brandon Wellness Center,
Black Rose Theatre, City of Brandon,
Brandon Fire Department,
CoBo’s, Faith N Candy, Miss Priss,
O! How Cute, Merle Norman,
Rankin County Historical Society,
Brandon Pottery, Forget Me Nots,
Brandon Discount Drugs
20 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 21

Hearts Ease
Ronnie & Jamie White
305 East Brandon Court
22 • Winter 2016

Hastings Place
Mike & Julia Whitehead
304 Loring Circle
Hometown Brandon • 23

Leland Law Office
204 Mary Ann Drive
Our building was originally built by Mr. Edward Glass
and Mrs. Anna Overton Archer Burns Busick. It was built
between 1933 and 1935. We found Mr. Busick’s signature
and the date 1935 on one of the rafters of the building.
They lived in the home until 1952 when Mr. Busick died.
Miss Anna, as many in Brandon knew her, continued to
live in her home until her death in 1980. The Busicks did
not have any children.
Much of my information comes from Jim Gilmore, who
had his lumber yard in the tin building next to the Busick
home. Mr. Gilmore rented from Miss Anna and was a
good friend to her. He told me she did not like to cook and
enjoyed eating her lunch with the people working at the
lumber yard. She also loved her cats. Miss Anna loved to
paint, especially magnolia pictures.
After Miss Anna died, her nephew inherited the building.
The building was used by many people for many purposes
prior to a fire. The Brandon fire department was so close and
handled the situation so well that most of the building was
saved; although it was severely damaged by greasy smoke.
The city had condemned the structure when we decided to
try to purchase it and restore it for my husband’s law office.
As with most historic structures, our family did much of
the restoration—which took us two years. We were able to
move in April 2016.
The fire required that the walls, many are lathe and plaster,
be torn out. The exterior walls are built with red clay blocks
similar to cinder block of today. There is no wood in the
exterior walls of this building. We were able to keep the
original white oak floors and have them restored. The burn
marks can still be seen in the foyer. We left them as scars
of the building’s life.
We use the Busick kitchen as our waiting area and her
dining room as a conference room. The conference room
table was the dining table from Myna Leland’s mother’s
home. Many pieces of furniture belonged to our parents.
It is our office, but we enjoy the memories the family
pieces carry.
The foyer is decorated with vintage Christmas ornaments
inherited from our parents. Most of the ornaments belonged
to Lillie Leland, long time Brandon resident, as my family
tree toppled over and most of our glass ornaments were
broken. I am not certain my mother ever fully forgave my
dad for this accident. The collage of vintage Christmas
cards were from Don’s mother. We enjoyed looking at the
signatures of the senders and remembering them from
our hometown.
24 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 25

BRANDON
MISSISSIPPI
26 • Winter 2016

Two Officers,
One Marriage
Kyle Brown
Robbie Wade’s public servant career began in Brandon as a
volunteer firefighter and reserve police officer. Brandon Police
Chief Byron McDaniel later asked him if he would be interested
in joining full time and 16 years later, Robbie has still never left
and plans on retiring here.
Chief McDaniel, one day, asked Officer Wade to attend a
weather training class in Pelahatchie that the late Chief Glenda
Shoemaker had organized. That day he met a Pelahatchie officer
named Andrea Jackson who was sitting in front of him during
the course.
Andrea Jackson’s career in law enforcement began as a
campus police officer for the University of Mississippi Medical
Center. She then transferred to the Pelahatchie Police Department
in 2000 to expand her skills. She enjoyed working for Pelahatchie
but desired to work for a larger department and in 2002, was
hired by Brandon P.D.
Four months into working for the Brandon Police Department,
Robbie and Andrea soon started talking. When they began
dating the two kept their relationship very professional while
working because they did not know how the department and
coworkers would respond. They committed to leaving work at
work and their personal business at home and kept their
relationship very quiet.
Robbie and Andrea dated for about a year when they decided
to get married. The two had been married before and did not
want an elaborate wedding, so they chose to exchange vows in
the Brandon Municipal Courtroom. Andrea’s only request was
that the two would get married on Valentine’s Day. Tommy Moss
completed the exchanging of vows at midnight on Valentine’s
Day in 2004; Robbie and Andrea were then off to the Bahamas
for their honeymoon.
In 2005, Robbie fulfilled a long-time desire of joining the
military. In 2007 he was deployed to Iraq. “That may have been
the toughest year in our marriage together, being gone so long,”
Robbie said while remembering a story of sitting on a runway
in Istanbul, Turkey, waiting to depart. Andrea was constantly
worried about his safety while he was gone and having to rely
on Skype and email to communicate. “It was a stressful time
hearing that he had been shot at and jumped off a building.
It was hard for us, and the kids were worried about him,”
Andrea recalled.
Robbie and Andrea both had children from previous marriages
but Andrea’s daughter, Amanda, never knew her dad when
Robbie came into her life at age 12. She quickly started calling
him Dad and the two developed a very close relationship.
Amanda was headed home to Brandon from college for the
Thanksgiving holidays on Sunday, November 18, 2012, when
tragedy struck. A driver lost control of the vehicle and Amanda
was killed. That day, Brandon and Rankin County wrapped
their arms around the Wades. Robbie said he didn’t know any
other job where you would have received as much support as we
did. Andrea used the simple phrase, “He was my rock.” Police
officers, fire fighters, and citizens were lined up to show their
support. People brought food and cards to their home and to the
police department. Andrea even recalls making a deposit at their
bank and the teller sending back a note that said, “We love you”.
Life for the Wade’s took a different perspective after Amanda
died. Robbie became a self-taught photographer. Andrea says
that Robbie took to photography because he needed something
to help him cope. Robbie said when he’s out taking pictures his
worries go away because he is focused and is out in nature. The
two have never lost their dedication to public service.
The Wades have seen the Brandon Police Department grow
over their years of service. “When I started in Brandon we had
two beats, east and west, and at 2am, the streets were empty
with very few calls, Robbie recalled.” Andrea remembers
Brandon having three beats. They have seen technology change
as the department has gone from paper to computers, increasing
professionalism, and the streets are no longer empty at 2am.
Robbie and Andrea are both currently lieutenants for the
Brandon Police Department while working on opposite shifts.
Robbie will head into work the 6am to 6pm shift while Andrea
is sleeping so she can come into work at 6pm. On days they
both work, they simply see each other in passing. It may not
seem normal to most, but it is for them, and has become
second nature. n
Hometown Brandon • 27

28 • Winter 2016

Have a
Flex Spending
account?
That money does not
carry over to the following
year…so treat yourself to new
eyeglassesor contacts!
Schedule your eye exam
today at one of our five locations.
—www.optical2000.com—
601-957-9292 • Ridgeland
601-859-3464 • Canton
662-746-4312 • Yazoo City
601-605-2259 • Madison
601-825-8300 • Brandon
Hometown Brandon • 29

Twin
Oaks
Home of Steve & Jan Harrell
Built soon after the Civil War, Twin Oaks
in Brandon has hosted numerous parties,
receptions, weddings and political events.
Located in the Brandon Historic District,
the popular wrap-around porch was added
during the Victorian era giving ample space
to sit and visit with family and friends.
During the holiday season, it is easy to
imagine the home as a grand ole Victorian lady.
Dressing her appropriately has always been
a favorite family tradition. Out come the
evergreens and magnolia and no room goes
untouched. The front parlor holds a fresh cut
tree that reaches almost to the 14 foot ceiling.
A collection of nests, birds, butterflies, and
flowers fill the twinkling branches.
The home’s four fireplace mantels are
heavily bedecked with themed garlands
dripping with embellishments collected through
the years. In no time, the house is transformed
into a magic Christmas Wonderland
–and the welcome mat is always out.
30 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 31

32 • Winter 2016

Here are some of Jan’s favorite holiday beverage recipes.
Served them with a spice cake or cookies and enjoy the festivities!
Coffee Punch
• 1 cup instant coffee
• 3 quarts boiling water
• 2 quarts milk
• 1 ½ cup chocolate syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. vanilla flavoring
• 1 gallon vanilla ice cream
Pour 2 ½ quarts boiling water over coffee.
Mix remaining water with chocolate syrup
and sugar and boil for 2 minutes. Add this
mixture to the hot coffee. Let cool. Add vanilla
flavoring and milk. Dip ice cream by scoops
into punch bowl. Pour punch over ice cream.
Wonderful, creamy punch. Looks great and
stays cold in a silver punch bowl.
Optional: Garnish with cinnamon sprinkled
over top of ice cream. Serve in silver or glass
punch cups. So good, you may want to serve
in a tall mint julep cup.
Cranberry Frappe
• 1 quart cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 1 quart unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1-2 tsps. almond flavoring
• ½ carton strawberry ice cream, softened
• 2 cups whipping cream, whipped with
½ cup sugar
• 1 quart ginger ale
Peppermint-Eggnog Punch
• 1 quart peppermint ice cream, softened*
• 1 quart commercial dairy eggnog
• 4 (12-ounce) bottles ginger ale, chilled
• Peppermint sticks
Combine first three ingredients in a punch
bowl, stirring until blended. Serve immediately
with peppermint sticks. Yield: 4 ½ quarts.
*(If you cannot find peppermint flavored
ice-cream, substitute vanilla ice cream with
½ cup (or to taste) crushed hard peppermint
candies.
Looks great in silver or cut glass punch bowl.
Serve in stems with a peppermint cane
swizzle stick.
Cranberry Punch
• 2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail, chilled.
(If unsweetened, add 1 cup sugar to taste)
• 1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade
concentrate, thawed
• 1 quart ginger ale, chilled
Mix cranberry juice cocktail and lemonade
concentrate in large punch bowl. Just before
serving, stir in ginger ale.
Refreshing punch looks beautiful served in
cut glass punch bowl. Garnish punch with
whole, fresh cranberries.
Mix first four ingredients and pour in punch
bowl. Add ginger ale. Scoop ice cream into
punch and stir gently. Top with scoops of
whipped cream and serve.
Beautiful cranberry red color with a fluffy,
white topping. Looks majestic in a cut glass
punch bowl. Serve in tall stems.
Hometown Brandon • 33

City of Brandon
Veterans Day
Breakfast
november 11, 2016 • Brandon Municipal Complex
34 • Spring Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 35

36 • Spring Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 37

The
BandHall
Melanie McMillan
F
rom an early age, Brandon native Keith Hall
seemed to know what he wanted to do. An old
home movie shows him at age one, playing a toy
drum while he marched along to the beat. He
even had a marching hat, which looked a lot like a
football helmet. “I’m pretty sure I just knew you
were supposed to wear something on your head
when you marched,” Keith says.
The oldest child of Ottris Mae and the late Don Hall, Keith moved to
Brandon from Puckett when he was a year old. The family lived in a
duplex on College Street in what everyone referred to as the “teachers’
home.” This close proximity to the high school gave Keith many
opportunities to watch marching band rehearsals. “I was obsessed with
the marching band,” Keith says. “I can remember in seventh grade my
math teacher Mrs. Inez Crain telling the class how I used to march
alongside of the band on the sidelines when I was about three-years-old.”
It was when Keith was three that his family moved to his grandparents’
home on Louis Wilson, where his mom still lives today. He grew up there
with his younger siblings, Ken and Kristie. All three of them were in the
Brandon High School band, and Keith was the drum major his senior year,
the same year that C.D. Hagan came to Brandon as the band director.
“I found him to be a quiet but confident young man,” Mr. Hagan
remembers. He was great with the mace (drum major baton) and had the
respect of the band students.” During football season that year, Mr. Hagan
asked Keith if he had ever thought about trying out for drum major of the
elite Mississippi Lion’s All-State Band. Keith auditioned and was selected
to lead the band at the Lion’s International convention in New Orleans.
38 • Winter 2016

Throughout high school, Keith planned on attending the University of
Southern Mississippi, majoring in music. His dad, however, had another
idea. The avid Bulldog fan urged his son to attend Mississippi State and
major in architecture. Keith followed his dad’s advice, but soon changed
his major to music and served as the drum major for three years at MSU.
It was during his senior year at State that long-time drum corps activists
George and Lynn Lindstrom founded the Memphis Blues Drum and
Bugle Corps.
At the time, Keith didn’t know anyone who was part of a drum corps,
but he recalls that “all of us band geeks knew what it was because PBS would
televise the national championships every summer. The shows they
performed were marching bands on steroids in our minds.”
He auditioned for the Memphis Blues and was selected as one of three
drum majors. George Lindstrom remembers Hall as a “very dedicated
person; the kind of kid that would want to stay up late just to talk about the
day’s activity or the drum and bugle corps in general. He was not a strong,
boisterous leader, but a quiet, intellectual leader.”
Keith has fond memories of his time with the Memphis Blues. “It was
amazing fun traveling around the country performing in different cities,”
he says. “I immediately started dreaming of one day starting a drum corps.”
Keith finished at Mississippi State in 1982 with a Master’s of Music
Education and was set to return to Brandon as the assistant band director
under his former band director C.D. Hagan. The plan was for Keith to be in
charge of the marching band, while Mr. Hagan focused on the concert band.
“He liked marching and was up on the latest trends,” Mr. Hagan recalls.
“I was just the opposite and was really excited about this possibility.”
However, during summer band camp, Keith was offered a position as the
assistant director at Mississippi State, creating a “no-brainer”, as Mr. Hagan
says, and a “big loss for BHS students.” After leaving MSU, Keith spent
several years as a band director for various high schools, including Clinton,
Columbus, and Brandon.
In those years as a band director, Keith also became involved with several
drum and bugle corps, one of which was the Cadets Corps in Hackensack,
Hometown Brandon • 39

New Jersey. During this time, he would visit the garment district in New
York City looking for fabric for flags, something different from the heavy
nylon that was typically used for flags back then. Keith found a polyester
fabric that was mostly used by Indian women to make saris. This fabric was
better for making flags because it was lightweight and available in many
colors. It was then, in 1997, that Keith had an idea for a new business. He
bought fabric in every color he could find, made his own swatch cards, and
mailed them to 700 potential customers.
Exactly half of them called to place an order, and The Band Hall was
born. The business began in his home-office and garage in Nashville, but the
business quickly outgrew the space and Keith leased office space and a large
warehouse. He bought fabric in New York City and eventually began
importing it from Japan himself.
After multiple requests from customers, The Band Hall began manufacturing
flags and uniforms, and expanded once again. They were able to knock
down a wall to the vacant space next door, and the second warehouse was
filled with sewing machines. It wasn’t long before they outgrew that space
and moved to the current location, which was the original headquarters for
Shoney’s, just outside of Nashville. “Their old huge freezer units are now
filled with shiploads of fabric, and the room where they used to clean fish is
full of embroidery machines” Keith says. “We knocked down a few walls to
create a 15,000 square-foot production floor. The company employs
designers, pattern makers, sales people and folks to operate the cutting and
sewing machines. I have some great employees because I have no idea how
any of it works.”
The feeling is apparently mutual as his sister Kristie attests. When she
and her family visited The Band Hall, Keith took them on a brief tour. “After
entering the room with the seamstresses, Keith introduced my family,”
Kristie says. “One seamstress stopped and expressed her appreciation of
Keith as the others applauded spontaneously for him. It appeared he was a
well-liked boss.”
Although most of The Band Hall’s customers are marching bands or
drum corps, they’ve also made flags for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum
& Bailey Circus, and uniforms for the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions. They even
made uniforms for Taylor Swift and her band, which had Velcro on the seams
so they could rip them off when the lights went out to reveal a different
costume underneath.
Not only does Keith have a highly successful business, in 2009 he also
realized his dream of beginning a drum and bugle corps. The Music City
Drum and Bugle Corps began with 47 members, but has grown to 150, the
maximum allowed. George Lindstrom, who directed the Memphis Blues
Corps that made such an impact on Keith, is a consultant for the Music City
Corps as well. Having worked with drum and bugle corps for many years, he
knows what is involved with starting and maintaining a corps. “The drum
and bugle corps world is very competitive and getting started is very
40 • Winter 2016

expensive,” Lindstrom says. “Lodging, rehearsal spots, trainers,
nutritionists, buses, semi-trucks and vans are all needed and those
things cost a lot.” For those who participate in the corps, however, it’s
worth it. “This winter we will have over 500 prospects from over
twenty states audition for a spot in the corps,” says Keith. “Every
summer the members seem to have more fun than the year before.”
Although Keith has called Nashville home for many years, he is
proud to be a Brandon native. His mom and brother still live here, while
his sister lives in Starkville. In reflecting on his growing up years, he
recalls that growing up in Brandon was “easy and stress-free.”
Keith appreciates those who contributed to making him the person
he is today. “Looking back I really appreciate how great my school
teachers were. I was pretty hard-headed like my dad and thought I
knew everything, but my teachers still managed to pour some smarts
into me. We’ve all heard the saying ‘It takes a village...’ I actually think it
just takes good parents to raise a good kid.
But having a great hometown to grow up in certainly doesn’t hurt! n
Life in the
Drum corps
Audrey Poole
Brandon High School Class of 2017
Member of the 2016 Music City Drum and Bugle Corps
I had to go to Nashville in December for a weekend clinic that started
on Friday night and ended Sunday afternoon. At auditions we got to
see a little of how the Corps would work in the summer, if we made it.
We slept on air mattresses in the gym, worked on auditioning for 12-plus
hours and made tons of friends. I was very fortunate to be offered a
contract at this clinic.
The color guard and drum line moved into Antioch High school in
Nashville on June 5th. The rest of the corps came the next week. We
basically lived at this school for three weeks until touring started. We slept
in the gym on air mattresses, ate from the food truck and practiced from
7am to 10pm every single day. The first week was really hard. I was missing
everyone at home and was so tired from practicing for 14-plus hours a day.
After this week, I told myself this was something I had always dreamed of
doing, so I got strength from my drum corps family and gave it my all.
Once touring started it was a lot easier because we actually got to
travel and perform the show for the crowds. We lived on buses, going
from show to show and housing site to housing site. We would leave one
show about 11pm, drive through the night, and arrive at the new housing
sight around 5am. We slept on the floor for about two hours and began
rehearsing at 7am for a full day and another show that night.
We got to march in two Fourth of July parades, and the crowds loved
us! Fennimore, Wisconsin, was the most memorable town. We put on a
community show and they fed us, closed down the public pool for us
and set up a movie night. It made us feel so special that a town would
do something like this for a group of kids.
Every time I stepped onto the field in a competition, the adrenaline
was running crazy. I have made so many memories and lifetime friends.
If you can survive and make it in the “music’s major league” of the drum
corps, you can do anything in life. We were training and touring for 10
weeks and I got to visit 10 states. I have such a sense of accomplishment.
I am now preparing for this coming year’s auditions. It was such an amazing
experience and I have grown so much as a performer and a person. n
Hometown Brandon • 41

BRANDON PUBLIC LIBRARY
1475 W. GOV. ST • (601) 825-2672 • brandonatcmrls.lib.ms.us
Dec • Jan • Feb EVENTS
AARP Foundation Tax-Aid Free in-person tax preparation service.
Saturday, February 4 at 10am-2pm (The is the only Saturday time offered
at Brandon.)
Fridays, February 10-April 14 at 10-2pm • Beading Class Please register.
December 12 at 6pm • Christmas Party Bring a munchie and a beading
idea to share. We will make Christmas Tree Earrings. $4 for Supplies.
January 9 at 4pm and 6pm • Design and Create. Try your hand at
designing your own piece of jewelry. Linda will open her bead stash so
that you can allow your creative juices to flow. $5 supply fee for one
necklace or two bracelets - your choice.
Brandon Book Club - Mondays at 10:30am
Stop by and discuss this month’s book.
December 12 Christmas Book (Title to be chosen)
January 9 Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.
February 13 Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant.
Mondays at 6pm - December 5, January 9, February 6
Brandon Quilters Cozy up with the Brandon Quilters for their meeting.
Wednesdays through December at 1:30pm • Bridge for Beginners
Join us and let’s play Bridge. Free classes. Please register.
BYOP Bring Your Own Project • Thursdays at 1pm
Weekly daytime crafting group.
Tuesday, December 13 at 6pm Chess Lessons for Teens and Adults
Please register.
Chess Club starts January 10 and meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 6pm
Christmas Classes
Thursday, December 1 at 6pm • Introduction to Rubber Stamping
Learn the fun of rubber stamping by making Christmas cards. Led by
Karen Slovak. Free class. Please pre-register.
Monday, December 5 at 6pm • Essential Oils 101 Questions! Questions!!
Just what are they? How do you use them? What are the benefits? Please
register. Free class.
Tuesday, December 6 at 6pm • Mosaic Christmas Ornament
Join us as we learn to create beautiful Mosaic ornaments. You will make
two ornaments that night. Lisa will grout and put a finish on your pieces.
They will be ready to pick up Tuesday, December 13. Supply cost $10.
Please preregister by calling the library at 601-825-2672
Thursdays • 6pm at December 1, January 5, February 2 • Coin Club
Love old and new currency? Join the Brandon Coin Club for their monthly
meeting.
Thursdays at 6pm • Creative Crafters Join us as we learn and craft together.
Mondays at 6pm • Dulcimer Group Bring your own dulcimer jam with us.
Wednesdays at 11:30am • December 7, January 4, February 1
Family Night at Thursdays at 6pm • DUPLO FREE PLAY
Join the fun building with Duplo Blocks. For ages 3-5.
December 8 at SANTA at THE LIBRARY Santa and Mrs. Claus will read
“The Night Before Christmas” and visit with each child. Bring your camera
to capture this special moment. The Mississippi Young Singers will also be
performing.
January 26 We will be entertained with cowboy stories and roping tricks
from John Wayne Blough.
December 3 at 2pm • Family Christmas Fun - Ice Cream Cone Tree
Decorating Fun for the entire family! Decorate your own ice cream cone
Christmas Tree. Please pre-register for this free event by calling the library
at 601-825-2672.
Friends of the Brandon Library Meeting
Tuesdays at 6pm - January 17 and February 21
Genealogy Events For information about these events contact Anne at
601-825-2672 or email her at brgenatcmrls.lib.ms.us.
Genealogy Club and DNA Discovery Group Christmas Party
Thursday, December 1 at 10:30am Bring a favorite snack if you like. I will
provide the drinks.
Genealogy Club-Thursdays at 10:30am - January 5, February 2
Genealogy topics and assistance are the topic of the day.
Brandon Historical and Genealogical Society
Tuesday, January 17 at 7pm Join us for history and fellowship. The public
is invited. Refreshments provided.
DNA Discovery Group • Thursdays at 10:30am - January 19 & February 16
Understand the differences in DNA tests and testing companies. Learn
about, discuss, and test out different databases to use to enhance your
family history research. Bring your laptop if desired. Free.
Kid Connection • Tuesdays at 4pm Grades K-5 afterschool story and crafts.
1st and 3rd Tuesdays Grades K-6 after school story and crafts.
2nd and 4th Tuesdays Chess lessons for K-6.
42 • Winter 2016
LEGO FREE PLAY • Thursdays at 3pm - December 15, January 12,
February 9 Be creative and use your imagination to build with our legos
for ages 6-10.
MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY
Minute to Win It! • Monday, December 19 at 5pm Join us for our middle
grade Minute to Win It Challenge! Do YOU have what it takes?
Marshmallow Olympics • Monday, January 9 at 5pm How will YOU fare
in the Marshmallow Olympics? We’ll have marshmallow shooters, building
contests, and more! For ages 10-13.
littleBits! • Monday, February 6 at 5pm
Come experiment and create with littleBits! For ages 10-13.
Button Making • Monday, February 27 at 5pm Make your own awesome
pins to wear or display!
Paint a Barn Quilt - 1-Monday, January 23 and 30 at 6pm
This is a two-week class. You will design and paint a 2 foot square quilt
pattern to hang outside. Supplies cost $10. Bring a yardstick, pencil, pattern
if you have one you want to use. Wear your painting clothes. We will prep
our board in week 1 and paint our design on in week 2. Must register by
January 16.
Painting with Carla • Tuesday, January 31 at 6pm
We will enjoy a seasonal painting with Carla Nations. $6 supply fee. Please
register.
Preschool Story Time • Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30am
Songs, stories, and crafts for preschoolers aged 3-5.
Sewing Classes for beginners • Saturdays at 12 noon - February 11, 18, 25
Three week class. This class is designed for someone who wants to learn
to sew and does not know anything. Must have a working sewing machine.
You must bring your own supplies - supply list available at circulation desk.
Sign Language Learn to speak with your hands. Free class. Please register.
Beginners • Saturdays at 10:30am - December 10, January 14, February 11
Advanced • Saturdays at 10:30am - January 28 and February 25
Spanish 101-Saturday, December 3 at 10:30am Simple conversational
Spanish and the essential basics. All ages welcomed. Free Class. Please
register.
TEENS
DIY Gift Party • Monday, December 5 at 5pm Make your own holiday
gifts for the people you love!
Cupcake Wars • Monday, December 12 at 5pm Who will win the cupcake
wars? Bring your decorating skills and an old shirt, because this will get
messy!
Make Your Own Salsa • Monday, January 23 at 5pm Let’s make
something hot and tasty to enjoy during this cold winter weather! Learn the
history of salsa and some cool recipes, and then make (and eat!) your own.
Button Making • Monday, January 30 at 5pm Design or find your own
buttons to make and wear.
Teens After Hours: CHOCOLATE PARTY • Friday, February 10 at 5:30pm
Third Thursday Book Club • December 15, January 19, February 16 at
6:30pm Call the Library for titles.
Toddler Time • Mondays at 10:30am
Come join us for stories. Songs and finger plays for ages 0-2 years.
V.V.A. Meeting • Wednesdays at 10:30am - December 14, January 11,
February 8 Join local veterans for their monthly meeting.
Video Game Day on Saturdays For gamers of all ages. Please register.
December 17 - Minecraft at 10am and 1pm
January 21 - Mario Kart Tournament at 12 noon
February 18 - Minecraft at 10am and 1pm
Displays for December and January
Scouting Exhibit of Stephen Heard
Nativity Collection of Adrian Hall of Adrian Hall
Displays for February
Freedom Rides: “Journey for Change” Traveling Exhibit
Services offered at the Brandon Library
• Black and White and color printing/copying
• Scanning
• Wireless Printing
Services provided by the Friends of the Brandon Library
• Free shredding services
• Notary services available for a fee of $3. Available 10-8 Monday-
Thursday and 10-5 on Friday. Call to check Saturday availability.
The library will be closed
December 24-26 for Christmas holidays
December 31-January 2 for New Year’s holidays
January 16 for Martin Luther King Day
February 3 for Staff Development Day
February 20 for President’s Day
______________________________________________________
Brandon Public Library is part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library
System, which serves Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties.

Dark Chocolate Smoothies
NEW Dark Chocolate Cherry
Dark Chocolate Mint
Dark Chocolate Strawberry
Smoothies With
A Purpose. ®
FREE
SMOOTHIE
Purchase any Medium
(32oz) or Large (40oz)
Smoothie, Get Small
(20oz)Smoothie Free
Excludes extras & enhancers. Some
restrictions may apply. Can not be combined
with any other offer. One per person per visit.
Valid at this location only. Expires 12-31-2016
201 Woogate Drive South, Brandon • 601-591-7159
IS YOUR
INSURANCE AGENT
FREE TO GET YOU
A BETTER DEAL?
AN INDEPENDENT AGENT
HAS FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
With access to many different providers, Trusted Choice ® Independent Agents have more
options at their fingertips. They can competitively shop around for you and put together
a plan that suits both your needs and your budget. The only one they answer to is you.
Find your independent agent. Find a better deal at trustedchoice.com
Free to do what’s right for you ṢM
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT
FREEDOM OF CHOICE CAN DO FOR YOU.
Insurance Associates
of Rankin County
Steven Wallace | 601-825-5242
1301 West Government Street, Suite 105
Brandon, Mississippi
Hometown Brandon • 43

DOG JAM
2016
November 1
Brandon Middle School
44 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 45

serving our community
Captain Brian Roberts
brandon Fire Department
Why did you decide to be a fireman?
A really good friend of mine (Captain Ryan Sanford)
was already employed at Brandon Fire Department.
I could see his passion for the job and his department.
After witnessing his love for the job it sparked my
interest in the fire service, so I put in an application to
the Brandon Fire Department, and never looked back.
How long have you been with the Brandon
fire department?
In February, I will have been here for 15 years.
Tell us about your family.
I have an amazing wife, Anna Claire Roberts. She is
truly an inspiration to me. She’s the hardest working,
selfless, and most dedicated person I know. Anna is
also the owner of Olde Towne Drugs here in Brandon.
My mother (Debbie Roberts), father (Randy Roberts),
sister (Syndey Roberts) are also big influences in my
life. God has truly blessed me with a great family.
What is the toughest thing you have
experienced in your job?
Being a firefighter, you inherit tough times on regular
basis. If someone calls for the fire department, it is
most likely their worst day. Seeing anyone hurt or in
need is hard–especially if there is a loss of life. I just
do the best I can for the people involved.
Share somethings you enjoy doing in your
spare time.
I love to spend time with my family and friends and
I am an avid outdoorsman.
What are three things on your bucket list?
I love my life, so it’s hard to imagine much outside of
it now. I would love to travel with my wife to Alaska.
I would like to take my dad and brother-in-law
(Joe Heindl) on a back-country elk hunt out west.
Traveling the Caribbean scuba diving sounds like a
good time.
Who is someone you admire and why?
Working in the fire service I have had some great
mentors. But the person I admire the most would be
my father. My father is a great man. He has always
worked very hard to provide for his family. He instilled
in me my work ethic and has taught me to have high
morals and to be a man of integrity.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hopefully I am still active in the Brandon Fire
Department either in my current position or in
another role. I’m hopeful that I will have some new
additions to my family with in the next ten years.
If you could give one piece of advice to
a young person, what would it be?
To work hard in no matter what you do. A strong
work ethic is irreplaceable.
What is the biggest mistake you think
young people make today?
I think one of the biggest mistakes young people
make is not learning a trade. No matter what you
do in life you should always have a backup plan.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
I have a lot of great memories growing up, but my
fondest memories would have to the times spent
with my dad hunting and fishing.
What is your favorite thing about the
City of Brandon?
The down-home people of this town make it great.
I love the small town feel. In Brandon, we are really
blessed with great emergency services and great
leaders that support us.
46 • Winter 2016

BRANDon's finest
Officer Kristen Arendale
brandon police Department
Why did you decide to be a policeman?
I have always had a passion for helping people and
law enforcement has always been an interest of
mine. Becoming a police officer has allowed me to
live out my passion by helping others in ways I could
never have imagined.
How long have you been with the Brandon
Police Department?
My career started last March when I was hired as the
city’s inmate security officer. I was then blessed with
the opportunity to enter into the law enforcement
training academy from which I graduated.
Tell us about your family.
Family to me is the most important part of life.
My husband Greg Moseley is a project manager
for Thrash Commercial Contractors and is one of
the hardest working people I know. Our daughter
Riley just turned 8 and we are expecting Bella Grace
next month.
What is the toughest thing you have
experienced in your job?
One of the hardest parts of this job is when children
and animals pay the price for others’ bad decisions.
Share some things you enjoy doing in your
spare time.
I really enjoy the simpler things in life such as
spending time at home with my family. I also love the
great outdoors, playing with our three dogs, Coco,
Greyson and Jax, and movie time with the family.
What are three things on your bucket list?
I am probably one of the few who does not have a
bucket list. God has blessed me with many things,
travels and people in my life that has never left me
with wanting much. Sometimes you have to take a
good look around and realize everything you need
and want is right in front of you.
Who is someone you admire and why?
It’s hard for me to point out just one person.
I have met many strong and empowering men
and women that have influenced me to be the
woman I am today.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I can only hope that in ten years I will be blessed
with a career I am proud of, health, and happiness.
If you could give one piece of advice to
a young person, what would it be?
Think before you act and use good judgement. Most
times young individuals do not realize that every
action has a reaction, good or bad. It’s important
they understand that the decisions they make today
effect their tomorrow and many years after.
What is a favorite childhood memory?
I have to attribute my fondest childhood memories
to my two older brothers David and Richard
Arendale. We had many unforgettable adventures
and memories that will stay with me always.
What is the biggest mistake you think
young people make today?
I think they are too easily influenced by their peers
and social media. It’s important to surround yourself
with good people and those that have your best
interest at heart.
What is your favorite thing about the
City of Brandon?
The city is a very close community and everyone
seems to know everybody. It’s a great place to live
and raise a family.
What is your favorite thing about
Rankin County?
Rankin County has the best quality of people and
everyone is always willing to help one another.
Hometown Brandon • 47

y Emmett & Jani Collier
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-6 / Saturday 10-4 / 715 S. College St. Brandon, MS / 601.825.4112
48 • Winter 2016

2017
Princess Ball
Friday, February 3rd
K4-4th Graders - 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 4th
K4-4th Graders - 4:00 to 6:00 PM
5th-8th Graders - 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Tickets $35/couple
$10 each additional child
Miss Mississippi
Laura Lee Lewis
Special Guest
Tickets available at Brandon Municipal Complex/1000 Municipal Drive
or purchase online at www.brandonms.org
Hometown Brandon • 49

50 • Spring Winter 2016

Volume 3, Issue 2
may/june/july 2016
The Rock House
_______________________
Dancing Through Life
_______________________
The Lew Crew
_______________________
Teddy "We Care" Bears
A Print-Worthy Pursuit
Mary Ann Kirby
A better name for this story may be “The Power of Serendipity”
the definition of which means to find amazing things that you
weren’t necessarily looking for. That’s what I found in Tahya Dobbs
when God brought us together to form what has been an amazing
working relationship, and better yet, an even better friendship.
Hometown Brandon • 51

52 • Winter 2016
Hometown
Hometown
Magazines
Magazines
Staff:
Staff:
Alisha
Alisha
Floyd,
Floyd,
Brenda
Brenda
McCall,
McCall,
Daniel
Daniel
Thomas,
Thomas,
Rachael
Rachel Lombardo,
Lombardo,
Mary
Mary
Ann
Ann
Kirby,
Kirby,
Tahya
Tahya
Dobbs,
Dobbs,
Kevin
Kevin
Dobbs
Dobbs

The story of how she and I met is, indeed,
serendipitous. In the fall of 2013, I had left
my very corporate management position
with a popular local magazine and had gone home to
be a full-time mom. It was a bittersweet move in that
I absolutely adored the magazine business along with
the creative process, but corporate media had become
extremely challenging and sometimes their vision and
mine didn’t always align. I wanted to expand and they
wanted to downsize. Bottom lines and budget cuts
always won out.
I could have ended my professional life then and
there and felt as though I had accomplished pretty
much everything I’d wanted. I’d had a successful career
in broadcast and print media sales and management
and felt like I was going out on a high note. The
holidays were approaching and I proceeded to spend
my first stress-free break at home with my husband and
then-ten-year-old son. I was relaxed and present in
a way that I hadn’t been in years’ past when precious
allotted vacations days were being rationed out until
the very end of the calendar year.
The holidays came and went and my son had
started back to school. I was beginning to settle into
my “new” routine and operating at a completely
different pace–and I liked it. One day I was out
running some errands and got a call from one of my
favorite former long-time clients. Noel Daniels called
to tell me, “There’s a gal out here with this new
magazine and I think you two need to meet. She’s
a real go-getter and really has a good thing here.
You could probably help her. It’s called Hometown
Brandon. Can I give her your number?”
The irony was that just a couple of days earlier I’d
noticed a new Facebook page that had been launched
called Hometown Brandon Magazine. It had grown to
over 2,500 likes within the first several hours of being
created and how I happened to stumble upon it, out of
all the things posted on Facebook, only God knows–
but I did. And to be honest, it made me ache for the
business I so loved. I told Noel to absolutely share
my number.
A couple of hours later my phone rang. “Mary
Ann, this is Tahya Dobbs. Noel Daniels gave me your
number so I hope you don’t mind that I called. Is this
a good time?” That was in the spring of 2014.
She was incredibly easy to talk to and we hit it off
immediately in that very first call. It turns out that
Tahya had recently had a career change, too. For years,
she had been a homemaker and raised children–not
just her own three, but four more from the foster
system, as well. Her husband had a life in ministry and
together they had hearts for the Lord and made lives
of service to the church. She carpooled and catered
and taught Sunday school. She was busy raising
children and having a house full was fulfilling to her–
but God had more to come.
Once her kids were all in school, Tahya decided to
explore her options outside of the home. She eventually
took a job with the City of Brandon mayor’s office and
fell in love immediately with all they did to promote
Brandon. She said, “I couldn’t believe I was getting
paid to actually promote the city! It was such a joy and
I made countless friends and connections while doing
it. We created events and partnered closely with our
local merchants. It was truly a dream job.”
That’s where the seed for the magazine got planted.
Tahya recalls, “I’ll never forget one day when one
of the ladies from the Brandon Garden Club came into
our office with a stack of Desoto County publications
and wanted to know what it would take for the City of
Brandon to have its own magazine.” That’s when the
bug bit. She went home that day and told her husband
that she was going to do a magazine.
“I literally felt convicted,” she went on to say. “I
left my job at the mayor’s office and set up camp on
my kitchen table as publisher of a yet-to-be-named
publication. And while I knew nothing about the
magazine business, I definitely knew what I wanted to
do with it. I wanted to promote good things. I wanted
to tell people’s stories–stories about our businesses
and neighbors and give them a real presence.
I went to Hederman Brothers, the locally owned
and operated printer that now prints all our magazines,
and they gave me the name of a freelance graphic
designer that might be able to help me. Daniel Thomas
and I met at McAlister’s in Brandon where I assured
him I knew absolutely nothing about publishing but
had already sold some ads and knew what stories
would be in the first issue. I needed someone to lay it
out and he quickly assured me he could do it.
The magazine would be beautifully designed and
made with high quality paper and would spotlight the
people in our community that make it the wonderful
place that it is. I confided with Jamie Wier, a local
architect-friend, about my idea and he suggested I
name it something that could work in the event we
ever decided to expand. Expand? Crazy, huh? That’s
how we came up with the name Hometown.”
In July of 2013, Tahya’s parents retired and moved
from North Mississippi where they had lived and raised
their children. They wanted to remain close to kids
and grand-kids and decided to make Brandon their
home. It was a mere three months later that Tahya
would need both a writer and a photographer to help
launch her new business. Tahya’s mom, Camille, had
written for newspapers for over twenty years and her
dad, Othel, was a professional photographer. Once
again God was orchestrating His plan and revealing
each piece of His extraordinary puzzle.
The community welcomed Tahya and her new
venture with open arms. All those contacts she’d made
while working for the City were vital as she started
knocking on doors and asking for support. People
were blown away just a few weeks later when she came
back to deliver her very first issue of Hometown Brandon
Magazine. The quality surpassed all expectations and
she’d managed to capture the very essence of their
beautiful community and the people that make it
special.
Since then, Hometown has expanded. She and
her husband Kevin have added Hometown Brookhaven,
Hometown Clinton, Hometown Rankin and Hometown
Madison. They publish 24 magazines a year with a
circulation nearing 250,000 and have recently
partnered with several area chambers of commerce
to publish their chamber guides. They’ve moved off
of the kitchen table and into an office space and it
now takes a staff of ten to meet the demands of
their ever-growing business. It’s been a remarkable
homegrown success story that I’ve been blessed to
witness, firsthand. And not only does she allow me
to tinker with the magazines, once again doing what
I love, but she’s become one of my dearest friends.
But make no mistake, Tahya doesn’t take a bit of
their success for granted. She and Kevin continue to
honor God at every turn and believe deeply that “to
whom much is given, much is required.” Much of the
content that they publish is boldly faith-based and
serves as a reflection of their core values–both in their
lives at home and in their business.
She goes on to say, “It never occurred to me that I
could possibly fail. Thankfully, I didn’t know enough
to know what all could go wrong. But I felt strongly
that God was showing me favor and I owed it to
Him to give it everything I had. I had to have faith.
So, that’s what I did.
It’s been really incredible. I can’t believe how far
we’ve come–and how much I’ve grown, personally.
And nothing gives me greater satisfaction than having
a business owner that has supported me and entrusted
me with their advertising dollars call and say, ‘Tahya,
it worked.’” n
Hometown Brandon • 53

Brandon Senior
Citizen Center
Halloween
Dance &
Costume
Contest
October 27
54 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 55

A Brandon Matriarch
Camille Anding
The den was stately, marked
with warm antiques, impressive
collectibles and overlooked,
through grand windows, a
perfectly manicured garden.
We waited briefly for the
homeowner, Janet Fox
McLaurin, to join us for
the interview.
Her broad smile welcomed
us and her fitted red dress and
gold necklaces were tasteful
and in keeping with the
matriarch of the McLaurin family. “I can’t
imagine anything of my life that would be of interest
to your readers,” she offered
as an introduction.
As she shared memory after memory, it was evident
that her family and connections with her hometown
of Brandon were the meaningful fabric of her life.
Her story began on the campus of what is now
Mississippi State University where she was born.
Her father, Hally Fox, was head of the math department.
Janet, a little girl of eight, still remembers
when her dad had a stroke and the family had to
move to Jackson.
Janet’s elementary years were influenced by her
mother’s constant push for excellence and “early
completion” of her education. Janet skipped first
grade and became a
second grader at age five.
After graduation from
high school at age sixteen,
her mother arranged for
her to attend Millsaps
College and live on
campus.
“I’d like for you to
graduate in three years,”
her mother told her.
Janet fulfilled her mother’s
wishes; she graduated at
age 19 in 1948.
The future Mrs. McLaurin met John on a blind
date in August of 1951. He told Janet much later that
he had been reluctant to go but had agreed to after
deciding that if he didn’t like his date, he would get
her a hamburger and take her home.
Janet quickly added with a twinkle in her eye,
“We didn’t get a hamburger!” They dined at Five
Points, a restaurant/night club in Jackson. The next
month she was wearing an engagement ring.
Three months later on December 15, the couple
was married. Her new home was in Brandon, the
city she would always call home.
She remembers a much different town then. It had
one traffic light, one town marshal and no city hall.
The crowning of Mary Ann Mobley in 1959 as Miss
Hometown Brandon • 57

America was the
town’s first claim
to fame. That time
period also marked
the time that John
was mayor of Brandon.
While John
continued to be
an integral part of
Brandon as a successful
hometown attorney, Janet was busy raising their
three sons, John Jr., Sidney, and Anselm. As she
juggled her many roles, she continued to be an active,
charter member of the Brandon Garden Club. She
was elected state president of the Garden Club in
1971 and served through 1973. She also served as
historian to the national club president.
We laughed as she shared an experience at her
first state Garden Club convention. She and Jane
Gayden, the president of the Brandon Club, attended
together. “We were told to wear our prettiest
outfits because everyone dressed up. The only new
thing I bought was a hat. Jane did the same thing.
When we opened our hat boxes, we had purchased
identical hats. We knew we couldn’t wear them the
same day, but I just had to wear my new hat the first
day. Jane wore hers the second day – and we
remained friends!”
The McLaurins moved
into a family home when
they married, but would
build two more homes
to cater to their growing
family. Their second
home on Shiloh Road
and Louis Wilson
Drive was the first
Brandon home to have central heat and air.
When John retired in 1991, the couple traveled
extensively. In June of 2004, John died after
suffering a stroke nine years earlier. The next year,
Janet moved to Legacy Subdivision and continued
participation in the Garden Club, D.A.R, her church
circle and four luncheon clubs.
On Sundays, the McLaurin pew at First Methodist
Church is filled with her family members and her.
Her six grandchildren add a lot of joy to her Sunday
meals when they all gather to share more good times.
As her family and friends look back over her life
as a wife and mother, they also recognize her as a
leader, an instructor, a manager, an encourager, and
a romantic that will always smile when she orders
a hamburger. n
58 • Spring Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 59

BMS 7th & 8th Grade
Venture
Fall Carnival
for Special Needs Students
November 17
Brandon Middle School
60 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 61

Brandon Police Department
Trunk or Treat
October 29 / Shiloh Park
62 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 63

Everything’s
Coming Up
Charla Jordan / Suzanne Ross
The Brandon Bulldog Tree” (L-R) 1st Row: Ethan Chapman, Dylan Chapman, Bailey Parish holding Stella Grace Walters, and Jack Stroud.
2nd row: Jack Gaskin, Debbie Zischke holding Anna Bryan Zischke, Delena Hamel, Sanders Ware Parish, Lily Chapman, Suzanne Ross, Anneke Welsch, and
Cooper Stroud. 3rd row: Mason Huddleston, Deena Moore, Ginger Parker, Jane Huddleston, Dixie Vance, Charla Jordan, Sandy Parish, and Ross Gaskin.
4th row: D. J. Jones (Bully).
64 • Winter 2016

For we need a little Christmas right this very minute
Candles in the window, carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas right this very minute!
“We Need a Little Christmas” from Jerry Herman’s Broadway
musical “Mame”
As we write this, it’s the first of November. The weather is cooler than
the sweltering summer temperatures of 100+ degrees but still warmer
than normal. Just as Mame needed “a little Christmas right this very
minute,” so do we! This is a time to share, a time to renew friendships,
and a time to make new ones.
To help us celebrate Christmas “right this very minute,” Brandon
Garden Club has created its annual “Deck the Halls” displays at Brandon
Municipal Complex with trees, wreaths, stockings, and so much more.
Hometown Brandon • 65

This year’s special theme tree recognizes our
hometown Brandon Bulldogs. “The Brandon
Bulldog Tree” is decorated in traditional school
colors of red, white, and black. This combination
is a favorite in our community throughout the
year, and BGC has woven those colors into a
lovely white Christmas tree. Red, the color of
holly berries or the bishop’s robe worn by St.
Nicholas, has been part of the holiday tradition
for many years, but black and white may actually
predate it. Consider that the first Christmas is
thought to have been on a dark, mid-winter night
with snow on snow.
Fire up your holiday spirit and your creative
imagination by visiting Brandon Municipal
Complex’s main entrance and viewing all the
Christmas trees and vignettes decorated by BGC,
including those with traditional red and green
colors. Remember the wisdom of Charles N.
Barnard, an American author and travel writer:
“The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas
trees are perfect!” Like most of our personal
decorations, there will be something old, new,
handed down, collected, and worn.
Christmas Tree Green Tip: Because the trees
at Brandon Municipal Complex are on display
from December 1st to-31st, BGC uses artificial
trees. Real trees, though, are an environmentally
friendly choice. One reason is that trees are 100
percent biodegradable and can be recycled in
a variety of ways:
• Use a potted tree for Christmas and plant it
after the holidays. Mississippi winters are often
mild enough that a tree planted in January will
survive.
• Place your cut tree after Christmas in a
corner of your yard to provide shelter for birds
and small mammals during cold weather.
Bird feeders and/or suet blocks hung from the
branches make the tree a special shelter for
birds.
• Compost your tree by sawing it into pieces
that loosely fit into your compost bin. Composting
time can be shortened by removing the
boughs and chopping them as finely as possible.
We wish you a Merry Christmas right this
very minute! n
66 • Spring Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 67

68 • Winter 2016

andon high school
class of '96
reunion
September 24 / Table 100
Hometown Brandon • 69

AND
We are thrilled to announce Today's Teen recipient honoring teens in our
city that have exhibited exemplary leadership skills and serve as excellent
role models. Chandler Johnson of Brandon High School was awarded this
distinction by CEO of Merit Health Rankin, Barry Moss.
Congratulations Chandler and a big "Thank You" to Merit Health
for investing in our leaders of the future.
There’s Merit in the future.
70 • Winter 2016

crossgates united methodist church
Fall Festival
October 30
Hometown Brandon • 71

First Baptist Church
Brandon
Tablescapes
November 14
72 • Winter 2016

Hometown Brandon • 73

Camille Anding
The Time Coin
When my parents built their
child-raising home, ranch
styles were the trend-setters.
Knowing our family of six would need
growing room, the ranch style fit perfectly
with their plans.
One end of the house was the carport,
breezeway, kitchen and dining room, living
room and den. The three bedrooms were in
the opposite end of the house with its single, family-size bathroom.
Each bedroom led into the hardwood floor hallway, rug-less and
concrete-cold in the winter.
Heating bills could do havoc to Daddy’s paycheck, so during the
coldest parts of the winter, the hall door stayed closed and so did the
kitchen door at the other end of the house. Heat lived behind those
two doors, but it was arctic temps between the two.
When my siblings and I were dressed for school, and we heard the
call to breakfast, we sprinted from the hall door, through the living room,
past the frosted picture window, past the mahogany table for ten and
burst through the kitchen door.
Warmth met us! Glorious warmth–the kind that every child should
have the privilege to know–was routine for us. The warm smiles and
pats from our parents were a daily welcome. A table with six chairs, real
plates and forks were set for us.
The oven door was warm to the touch
because homemade biscuits were browning
inside. Bacon, sausage or ham was saturating
the room with aromas we smelled most
mornings.
We sat down to spread Mother’s muscadine
jelly or a neighbor’s fresh sorghum
molasses on our biscuits. Every delicious bite
warmed our stomachs and strengthened our young frames for the icy
weather just beyond the kitchen door.
The Bible doesn’t give nearly the information about heaven that
I would like. We just accept it as that most perfect place. I guess that’s
why I often compare it to home.
Our warm bedrooms are where we’re born and nurtured. At the
right time we begin our sprint through life–and life has its share of
cold, harsh experiences.
But finally, we reach the destination. We arrive and the door is
already open. It’s bright with the glory of God and warm with His love.
We are welcomed by our loved ones, and we join Jesus at the banquet
table. There’ll be no more sprints! Eternity will have begun, and time
and winter will be no more. n
74 • Winter 2016

Calendars
Church Bulletins
MoreThan
Manuals Brochures
Design
Meets the Eye
Embossing
Letterhead
Overprinting
Folding
Collating
Storefront
Banners
Invitations
Postcards
Customized
Mailing
NCR Multi Part
Menus
Perfect Binding
Information Booklet
Personalization
Sorting
Scratch Off Envelopes
Stationery
Labels
Die-Cuts
Annual Reports
Database Management
Business Cards
Foil Stamping
500 Steed Road • Ridgeland, MS 39158
601.853.7300 • 1.800.844.7301
www.hederman.com
Hometown Brandon • 75

Because there’s Merit
in faster care.
In a medical emergency, every minute matters. So, at Merit Health, you’ll
find faster care in the emergency room. We work diligently
to have you initially seen by a medical professional* in 30 minutes –
or less. And, with a team of dedicated medical specialists, we can provide a
lot more care, if you need it.
The 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Service Pledge – at Merit Health.
Central
Madison
Rankin
River Oaks
River Region
*Medical professionals may include physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
MyMeritHealth.com