Clinton1118web

volume 5 number 4 

NOVEMBER 2018 

5 

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS 

HOMETOWN MAGAZINES 

5 

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS 

HOMETOWN MAGAZINES 

COMING FULL CIRCLE 

________________________ 

AVoice of Hope 

________________________ 

Life Lessons fron Lela Bell

PUBLISHER & EDITOR 

Tahya A. Dobbs 

CFO 

Kevin W. Dobbs 

CONSULTING EDITOR 

Mary Ann Kirby 

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER 

Brenda McCall 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

Karla Johnson 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Camille Anding 

Elizabeth Bennett 

Jessi George 


Susan Marquez 

Abigail Walker 

Erin Williams 

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER 

Othel Anding 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER 

Lee Ann Culp 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 

Alisha Floyd 

LAYOUT DESIGN 

Daniel Thomas - 3dt 

• • • 

www.facebook.com/ 

Hometown-Clinton-Magazine 

Who would have thought one store could offer every retail item imaginable? No, it’s not 

Wal-Mart. It’s the app store on our electronic devices. Electronic technology has brought the 

world into our homes with virtual tours through endless catalogs plus the added luxury of 

having orders delivered to our front doors. 

It’s a convenience that most would add to their Thanksgiving list, but is there a hidden cost 

to that convenience? Absolutely! Imagine the empty storefront windows and how our business 

landscape could change if there were no walk-in customers. With closed businesses would come 

depleted sales tax revenues. That would mean an end or reduction to many of our services we 

normally take for granted. Police and fire protection, K-12 education and environmental 

projects are just a few that would be affected. 

I’m certain brick-and-mortar businesses are grappling with their future and how to stay 

afloat in the rapidly advancing cyber world. An obvious solution for our hometown businesses 

would be walk-in customers spending locally. 

“Tis the season” when we celebrate the greatest Gift ever given. 

The majority in our hometown will be a part of that celebration by 

giving and receiving gifts. Buying those gifts locally in brick-andmortar 

stores could help impact all of us in multiple ways. 

Please keep that in mind as you ride down our streets and enjoy 

the displays of Christmas lights and decorations. You can be a part 

of a special cycle that helps make that, and much more, continue. 

For subscription information 

visit www.htmags.com 

Contact us at info@HTMags.com 

601.706.4059 

26 Eastgate Drive, Suite F 

Brandon MS 39042 

• • • 

Hometown Clinton is published by Hometown 

Magazines. All rights reserved. No portion of 

Hometown Clinton may be reproduced without 

written permission from the publisher. 

The management of Hometown Clinton 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 Clinton is funded by advertising. 

In this issue The Way We Were . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Coming Full Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

An Atypical Vet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Olde Towne Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

A Voice of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

In the Wake of the Storm . . . . . . . . 40 

Memories of the Heart. . . . . . . . . . 46 

An Opportunity to Work . . . . . . . . . 50 

Life Lessons from Lela Bell . . . . . . . 54 

Hometown Clinton • 3

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4 • November 2018

The Perfect Gift 

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The way 

WE were 

Cheryl & Jehu Brabham 


This love story is rooted in faith 

and wrapped in commitment. Not 

much has changed with Jehu and 

Cheryl’s relationship over the four 

and a half decades it has existed. 

Love and respect, with a deep faith, 

have been the theme of this couple. 

Cheryl Bryant Brabham was 

born in Jackson and has lived in 

Jackson or Clinton all of her life. 

She attended school in the Jackson 

school system and graduated from 

Provine High School in 1970. After 

high school graduation, Cheryl 

attended Hinds Community College 

for two years. She had planned to 

transfer to a college to finish her 

degree as a home economics major 

to become a teacher. “Jehu and I 

started dating in May of 1972, just 

as I was completing my sophomore 

year at Hinds. Pretty soon, I knew 

I was not going away to college, as it 

was clear we were in love, so I got a 

job with the state highway 

department until I could decide 

what I would do,” said Cheryl. 

Cheryl and Jehu’s relationship 

progressed and they got engaged 

Christmas 1972 and were married 

in May of 1973. Cheryl continued 

to work at the highway department 

until November of 1978, just before 

the birth of their first son, Grant. 

She became a stay at home mom. 

“My home economics studies were 

put to good use in raising our sons 

and running our household!” said 

Cheryl. 

Jehu Brabham was born in 

McComb, Mississippi. When he 

was three years old, his family 

moved to Ferriday, Louisiana. He 

graduated from Ferriday High 

School in 1967 and moved to 

Clinton to attend Mississippi 

College. Jehu went to MC on a 

basketball scholarship and played 

basketball four years there. He 

graduated with a degree in history 

and political science in May of 1971. 

In June of 1971, Jehu began 

working as director of youth and 

activities at Parkway Baptist Church. 

It was there at Parkway that he and 

Cheryl’s paths first crossed. Jehu 

was 23 and Cheryl was 20. Cheryl 

is a lifelong member of Parkway 

and her mother was the pastor’s 

secretary, so she would visit at the 

church, often. She was also involved 

in the youth activities program at 

the church. “We enjoyed visiting 

and talking with each other and 

soon became friends,” said Jehu. 

“Our friendship was formed 

by being involved through various 

youth activities at the church and 

through the staff interaction with 

her mother. We enjoyed each other’s 

company very much,” said Jehu. 

One Friday night after a youth 

activity at the church, Jehu invited 

Cheryl to get a bite to eat. “It was 

just a casual, friendly outing which 

quickly developed into a relationship 

where we fell in love. This ‘sort-of ’ 

date became one of the very best 

investments of my life,” said Jehu. 

“I knew right away that Jehu was 

the man of my dreams!” exclaimed 

Cheryl. They prayed and talked 

about every decision they made and 

knew from the start that God had 

his hand on what was the beginning 

of their life together. 

Within the first month of them 

dating, they each knew that God 

had led them to the right one. “We 

had the same hopes and dreams… 

a home, children, a future with 

someone who loves you unconditionally. 

We both had strong work 

ethics, and most importantly, a 

spiritual relationship with God, 

who was leading and guiding us,” 

said Jehu. 

6 • November 2018

“The three most important words 

in our marriage or any marriage 

is not ‘I love you’, but rather, 

‘I forgive you.’” 

The Brabhams have found that 

building a relationship upon a 

bedrock of love, commitment, trust, 

and friendship have provided them 

strength in their marriage. “Cheryl 

and I know that we are the right 

person for each other because we 

enjoy spending time together. We 

share the enjoyment of spending 

time with our family and friends. 

We very much enjoy working in our 

yard and flower gardening together,” 

said Jehu. One of the Brabhams’ 

favorite ways of spending time 

together is by tailgating in The 

Grove and attending Ole Miss 

football games. 

“Through the 45 years of our 

marriage, we have always been kind, 

considerate, respectful and polite to 

each other. We do the little things 

in life for each other such as saying 

‘thank you’ and I always open and 

hold the door for her. Simple things 

may seem old fashioned, but they 

reflect the amount of caring and 

kindness in a person. We feel 

supported and encouraged about 

our own growth, both emotionally 

and intellectually. Every day that 

passes we know we married the 

right person because we feel happy, 

safe, and fulfilled about ourselves, 

our family, and our future. 

About a week and a half before 

Christmas 1972, while the two of 

them were sitting in her parents’ 

kitchen, “Jehu asked if I wanted 

something gold for Christmas, 

which was basically his proposal. 

I said ‘yes’ and on Christmas Eve, 

at home with my family, he gave 

me a small gift-wrapped box which 

held my engagement ring. It may 

not have been the most romantic 

proposal, but he is the man of my 

dreams and we have had and still 

have the most wonderful, loving 

marriage. We have truly been 

blessed!” gushed Cheryl. 

The Brabhams were married 

at Parkway Baptist Church on 

May 26, 1973, in a very traditional 

pink floral wedding ceremony. 

Cheryl even designed and sewed 

her own wedding dress. “My dress 

was very typical of that time–high 

neck with a lace bodice, lantern 

sleeves of lace and sheer voile, 

empire waist, floor length skirt of 

satin with a voile overlay, and a 

deep lace hemline and detachable 

cathedral length train edged in lace. 

It took me three or four months. 

However, just before completing 

the final touches, I broke the little 

finger on my right hand and needed 

help. I asked a dear family friend, 

Mary Jo Smith, and she helped me 

finish the final details to walk down 

the aisle. Once again, my home 

economics studies were put to 

good use,” said Cheryl. 

On their anniversary this year, 

Cheryl surprised Jehu by coming 

down the stairs of their home 

wearing her wedding dress. “Cheryl 

still looks like the beautiful lady 

who walked down the aisle 45 years 

ago,” said Jehu. 

The Brabhams truly have an 

“others-focused” marriage. “For the 

past 45 years, Cheryl and I have 

always tried to put God first in our 

marriage, first in raising our children, 

first in our careers, and first in how 

we live our daily life. When God 

blessed us with children, change 

was inevitable. With the birth of 

our first son, Cheryl became a 

stay-at-home mom. This was a 

decision made after talking and 

praying with each other. Since 

family was vitally important to us, 

Cheryl and I never regretted the 

decision for her staying home with 

both of our sons. But let me just say, 

we had gotten accustomed to being 

a two-income family. With the 

elimination of Cheryl’s paycheck, 

it took some serious commitment 

to a family budget. But despite the 

strain, at the top of our family 

budget was our financial commitment 

of a tithe to God’s work 

through our church,” said Jehu. 

Family was a top priority in their 

home. Jehu and Cheryl made a 

commitment to not only tell their 

sons they loved them, but to show 

them love as well. “We carried them 

to church every Sunday, spent 

untold hours going to parentteacher 

conferences and PTA 

meetings, cheered for and coached 

our sons in youth sports,” said 

Cheryl. Jehu took them hunting, 

fishing and camping at every 

opportunity. “We made sure they 

knew and loved their grandparents 

and encouraged them to develop 

lasting friendships with church 

friends. 

“During their formative years, 

Cheryl and I committed our time 

to our children. A big portion of 

our lives have been committed to 

our sons and Cheryl and I have 

never regretted any sacrifice we 

have made on behalf of our 


children. Even before their birth, 

Cheryl and I prayed each day for 

our family and continue to pray, 

daily, for our two sons and their 

families. We thank our awesome 

God that He helped guide us to 

create a balance between the time 

spent pursuing our careers, building 

our marriage, and pouring time into 

our children’s lives,” said Jehu. 

“Cheryl and I can say with 

abundant happiness that our 

children and grandchildren are 

blessings from the Lord and we love 

them dearly,” Jehu continued. The 

Brabham’s have two sons. Grant is 

their oldest son and is senior 

vice-president at Fox Everett 

Insurance. Grant and his wife Anna 

live in Madison and are the parents 

of Kaden, age 9, and Knox, age 6. 

Their youngest son Cole works 

with JST Company, a petroleum 

business. He lives in Midland, 

Texas, with his wife Catherine and 

they are expecting their first child. 

“We are thrilled to be adding an 

addition to our family!” exclaimed 

Jehu. 

Jehu raves about the exemplary 

marriage he and Cheryl have had. 

“My advice to my sons when they 

told Cheryl and me they were 

getting married was, ‘I want you to 

love and honor your wife like I love 

and honor your mother,’” said Jehu. 

The Brabhams enjoy being 

grandparents and spending as much 

time as possible with their family. 

“There is nothing that thrills our 

hearts more than hearing our 

grandsons call out, ‘CeCe and 

Big J!’ We enjoy watching and 

supporting them in sports, school 

and church activities. We love to 

take our grandsons on special 

outings and really look forward to 

them spending the night,” said Jehu. 

Jehu loves to play baseball with 

them in the backyard and Cheryl 

enjoys making Rice Krispie treats 

with them. 

Jehu and Cheryl have some good 

advice for engaged or newlywed 

couples. They urge couples to, both 

individually and together, make 

Jesus Christ first in their lives. They 

also emphasize the importance of 

having open communication and 

creating an environment of 

openness and humility. Also, they 

want to encourage all married 

couples to return to that love you 

first had for each other. “I hope 

you’ll listen to God tell you, ‘Hang 

in there! Keep working on your 

marriage! Don’t give up!’ 

“God intends marriage to be a 

lifelong pursuit. It begins at the 

marriage altar and ends at the 

deathbed. Marriage should send a 

clear message about total and 

absolute commitment. It takes God 

to make a marriage meaningful and 

fulfilling. He created it. Love is not 

just a mushy feeling—it is a 

commitment,” said Jehu. “Marriage 

takes continual work and planning. 

We must intentionally concentrate 

on companionship, respect, fun and 

laughter in our adventure,” he said. 

The Brabhams have lived in 

Clinton for 35 years and can say that 

they feel welcomed and loved in 

Clinton. Cheryl works at The 

Cupboard Gifts and Interiors and 

Jehu still works at Parkway Baptist 

Church. Jehu served as alderman 

at-large for the City of Clinton for 

24 years and has been a strong 

advocate for education and 

community beautification. 

Even though the Brabham’s sons 

graduated a long time ago, you will 

still see them in their seats every 

Friday night to support the Clinton 

Arrows or attend a youth-league 

baseball game of some friend’s 

grandchild—or supporting the 

Attaché show choir. “We are very 

proud supporters of Clinton and 

their commitment to quality 

education, beginning with 

kindergarten all the way through 

Mississippi College. Community is 

important to us because we feel we 

belong here,” said Jehu. 

Now that their children are 

grown, they enjoy more free time 

and less responsibilities. “Some of 

our biggest laughs come when we 

are sitting on our deck and watching 

a beautiful sunset, folding laundry, 

working on a household improvement-type 

project or just sitting in 

the den and talking. When we sit 

down and look at the thousands of 

pictures depicting the evolution of 

our marriage and family over these 

past 45 years, a lifetime of memories 

and commitment to each other 

become apparent,” said Jehu. 

Their Christian faith has been 

the bedrock of their relationship. 

They have consistently turned to 

the Bible for direction, guidance 

and comfort. “Our faith in Jesus 

Christ and resulting religious beliefs 

have been instrumental in our 

marriage and family. It’s the shared 

morals and values that have made 

our marriage last a joyous 45 years. 

The three most important words in 

our marriage or any marriage is not 

‘I love you’, but rather, ‘I forgive 

you.’ Commitment is a critical 

component in a lasting marriage,” 

said Jehu. 

The Brabhams’ will celebrate 

fifty years of marriage in a few years. 

And although they’re not sure how 

they will celebrate their golden 

anniversary, they are sure they will 

enjoy spending it with family and 

close friends. 

Jehu celebrated 47 years of 

working at Parkway Baptist Church 

September 1st and is thankful for 

his years of service there. 

The Brabhams live life with full 

zest! They are thankful for the 

family God has blessed them with 

and look forward to the future. “As 

the years have gone by, the giddy 

love we shared as newlyweds has 

matured into a strong love full of 

commitment and desire to help and 

encourage each other. With every 

new family member, that love 

increases and grows deeper than 

you can imagine. Our marriage has 

been a beautiful blessing. We 

believe the unquestioned truth of 

Proverbs 16:3 – Commit to the 

Lord whatever you do and your 

plans will succeed. We have strived 

to communicate, listen to each 

other, be kind and considerate, 

affirm each other’s special 

uniqueness, pray together and love 

each other dearly. We are excited 

about what our almighty God has in 

store for us and our family in the 

years ahead!” said Jehu. l 

8 • November 2018

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Good Luck 

Clinton Arrows! 

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101 Woodchase Park Drive 

Clinton, MS 39056 

Bus: 601-924-9446 

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10 • November 2018

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SPRING ENROLLMENT 

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4-week, 6-week, 8-week and 16-week options available. 

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In compliance with the following: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 of the Higher Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable Federal and State Acts, Hinds Community College offers equal education and employment 

opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or veteran status in its educational programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Dr. Tyrone Jackson, Vice President for Utica Campus and 

Administrative Services and District Dean of Student Services & Title IX Coordinator Box 1003, Utica, MS 39175; Phone: 601.885.7002 or Email: titleIX@hindscc.edu 

Shop The Olive Branch, 

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Erin Williams 

COMING FULL CIRCLE 

rowing up, sisters Tara 

Lytal and Heather Lytal 

Broadwater remember many 

days where they’d save up their money and 

walk to The Cupboard to buy unique gifts for 

their friends and family. Because they grew up walking-distance 

away, trips to and from The Cupboard to buy gifts became as much 

of a part of their childhood as the people they would buy them for. 

“Whenever we needed a gift, we would save up our money and 

walk to The Cupboard,” said Tara. “We always received special 

attention from Jacque Tharp and her mother Maycel Martin, who 

were the owners at the time, and it has been near and dear to our 

hearts ever since.” 

Originally opened in 1971, The Cupboard quickly amassed a loyal 

following and became deeply ingrained in the Clinton community. 

Now, with new owners Tara, Heather, and their mother Linda Lytal, 

a new location, and with The Cupboard’s 47th year in business 

approaching this November, those roots are deeper than ever before. 

After both growing up and graduating from Mississippi College, 

Tara and Heather each worked in different careers for a while. Tara 

started her career in interior design at a Jackson design firm where 

she worked for five years while Heather worked in retail management 

for about eight years. In 1994, while working at the Jackson design 

firm, Tara received a call from 

Cindi Brown, who had become a 

partner at The Cupboard, and Jacque 

Tharp, asking her about returning to 

Clinton and working with them. Tara jumped at 

the opportunity to return to Clinton and work with friends. 

She had worked for 13 years practicing interior design and assisting 

in buying for the shop. 

During that time, Heather left the workforce to raise her children 

for about 12 years; although, she would help out some at The Cupboard 

on weekends and during the holiday season. As Heather’s children 

got older, her daughter Morgan also began working for The 

Cupboard part-time when she was 15-years-old. Morgan is still 

employed at The Cupboard today and runs all of the social media, 

as well as assisting in buying for the shop. 

“Being at The Cupboard all those years even on a part-time basis 

was always just comfortable for us because everyone was a big family,” 

Heather said. “Not just literally in the sense that Tara and my 

daughter Morgan worked there but that The Cupboard was nostalgic 

for us. It was a part of our childhood. Even all the employees there 

were like a big family. After Jacque retired, Cindi’s sister, Cheryl 

Brabham, began working in the business and she is still with us today.” 

But it’s when Cindi mentioned that she, too, was considering 



etiring that Tara and Heather immediately expressed interest in 

purchasing The Cupboard. In January of 2018, they began transferring 

ownership and officially took over as new owners in March. 

“You know Jacque and Cindi had really done everything right. 

We adore them and they remain close friends of ours,” said Tara. 

“We could not have dreamed of a better transition. Cindi even comes 

back and works with us from time to time. You don’t stay in business 

for 46 years without learning a thing or two, and we just wanted to 

build upon the success that both amazing owners put into motion.” 

Heather agreed with Tara when she explained that Jacque and 

Cindi had set a standard for customer service that was important to 

them to continue. 

“We strive to provide the best customer service—the same that 

was started so many years ago. In a society that is so technology 

driven, it’s easy to lose site of one-on-one service,” said Heather. 

“It is not uncommon to walk through the door here and be called 

by name, which is almost unheard of these days. One of our hashtags 

on instagram is #whereeverybodyknowsyourname and that is 

something we live by here, daily.” 

Shortly after they took over as new owners, an opportunity arose 

for Tara and Heather to relocate The Cupboard to the old Ratliff 

Motor Company, which had also been a staple in the Clinton 

community for many years. Now on the corner of College Street 

and the Clinton Parkway, The Cupboard’s new location allows 

them to be a part of the Olde Towne community and take part in 

extra events throughout the year. 

“The new location is amazing. Almost instantly, it felt like The 

Cupboard had been there for years,” said Heather. “We are within 

walking distance of Mississippi College which is proving to be great. 

With the proximity to the college, The Cupboard is being exposed 

to students and their parents who might not otherwise be familiar 

with it.” 

Although in the past few months The Cupboard has seen new 

owners and a new location, Tara and Heather’s commitment to 

quality products, impeccable service, and their employees, remains 

the same. 

“What drew us and our great customers to The Cupboard for 

many years is the family atmosphere,” said Tara. “That atmosphere 

is because of the employees, with many of them having worked 

there for years. We wanted to keep all of that the same because they 

are the heartbeat of The Cupboard and we’re so grateful to have 

them a part of our family.” 

While Tara’s commitment as program director of Main Street 

Clinton limits the time she’s able to be physically at The Cupboard, 

Heather brings her years of retail management experience to the 

table and runs all of the day-to-day operations. 

“Tara and I work really well together as a team. We’re sisters first 

and we love each other, but we know that we each have different 

gifts to offer and that, at the end of the day, it all comes full circle as 

everyone uses their talents to work together,” said Heather. “Tara is 

the vision and she’s able to see the big picture while I am extremely 

organized and am able to put those pieces together and make sure 

things get done on a daily basis.” 

Tara echoed Heather’s sentiments and went on to say that she 

feels incredibly blessed to be able to work with all of her families – 

her immediate family, her Cupboard family, and the entire Clinton 

community that has become like a family to her over the years. 

Congratulations to The Cupboard on celebrating 47 years in 

business. We hope to see 47 more! l 


Cheese Ring with 

Strawberry Jam 

Beautiful dip for Christmas parties. 

Must be prepared 1 day in advance. 

• 1 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese 

• 1 cup chopped pecans 

• 2 cups mayo 

• 1 small onion (finely chopped) 

• 1 garlic clove (pressed) 

or garlic salt 

• 1 cup strawberry jam 

Mimi’s Cornbread Salad 

• 1 pan of cornbread (use mix or 

make your favorite) 

• 1 cup diced onions 

• 1 bell pepper seeded and diced 

(optional) 

• 1 cup diced tomatoes 

• 1 (5-oz.) can whole kernel corn 

(drained) 

• 1 lb. bacon (cooked until crisp 

and crumbled) 


Hometown 

GOODNESS 

Sweet Potato Soufflé 

• 4-5 large sweet potatoes 

(enough to make 3 cups 

mashed potatoes) 

• 1½ cups sugar 

• 3 eggs 

• 1 stick butter 

• 1 sm. can evaporated milk 

• 1 T. vanilla flavoring 

Topping: 

• 1 cup light brown sugar 

• ½ stick butter 

• ½ cup self-rising flour 


Mix sweet potato and other 

ingredients well. Pour into 2 qt. 

buttered casserole dish. Melt butter. 

Add other ingredients and mix well. 

Spread topping on top of potatoes. 

Bake until topping is light brown. 

Bake approximately 20 min. 

Serves 12-15. 

Date Balls 

• 1 stick melted butter 

• 1 cup white sugar 

• 8 oz. dates (chopped) 

• 1 cup nuts (chopped) 

• 1 egg beaten 

Boil slowly 10-12 minutes then add: 

• 2 cups rice crispies 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Cool and roll in balls. Dip and roll 

in powdered sugar. 

Mix first 6 ingredients together 

thoroughly. Place in a greased ring 

mold. Refrigerate overnight. 

Unmold onto a serving plate and 

place strawberry jam in center. 

Serve with crackers. 

Broccoli Casserole 

Cook 

• 1 cup rice (set aside) 

Sauté 

• 1 med. onion (chopped) 

• 1 T. butter 

• 1 can sliced water chestnuts 

(drained) 

• 1 can mushrooms 

Add 

• 1 box frozen thawed broccoli 

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup 

• 1 cup sharp shredded cheddar 

cheese 

Mix all ingredients together and 

place in oblong or square baking 

dish. Cover with ½ cup grated 

cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 

15 minutes. 

Bake cornbread. Cool and crumble. 

Place in a large bowl. Add onions, 

bell pepper, diced tomatoes, corn, 

and bacon. Stir until well combined. 

Add mayo to salad and stir until fully 

mixed. Cover and refrigerate at least 

2 hours before serving. 

(You can add drained pinto beans, 

olives, pickle, ranch dressing mix or 

grated cheddar cheese) 

Buttermilk Salad 

Or Pink Fluff – kids would never try 

anything called buttermilk salad 

• 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple 

• 2 cups buttermilk 

• 1 lg. box Jello strawberry 

(can use any flavor) 

• 1 large cool whip 

Pour pineapple with juice in a boiler 

with Jello. Mix well and bring to a 

bubbling boil, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat; pour into 

serving container and refrigerate 

until it starts to thicken. Mix with 

mixer (very little). Stir in buttermilk 

and cool whip. Return to refrigerator 

until set. 


Mama Ann’s 

Hot Chicken Salad 

• 6 cooked chicken breast (deboned) 


• 2 cups sour cream 

• 1 can mushroom stems and pieces 

• 2 cans sliced water chestnuts 

• 1 cup sliced almonds 

• 2 cups finely chopped celery 

• 1 cup cream of chicken soup 

• 2 T. chopped onion 

• 2 T. lemon juice 

• 2 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. pepper 

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Pull chicken a part in small pieces. 

Mix all ingredients together. Spray 

9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour 

all ingredients in pan. Bake at 350° 

until bubbly. Top with 2 cans of 

French fried onion rings (optional). 

Bake 10 mins. Served hot or cold. 

Pineapple Coconut Pecan 

Snowball Cookies 

• 1 8-oz. cream cheese softened 

• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple 

(drained) 


• 3 cups flaked coconut 

Combine cream cheese and 

pineapple. Fold in pecans, cover and 

refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll into 1 inch 

balls. Roll in coconut, refrigerate 4 

hours or overnight. 

Mamaw Clark’s Cookies 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 1 cup brown sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 1½ cup Crisco 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1 tsp. baking soda 

• 2 tsp. baking powder 

• 2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal 

• 1 cup chopped toasted peanuts 

• 1 cup cornflakes (crushed) 

Mix sugars, Crisco and eggs. 

Add flour, soda, baking powder and 

oatmeal. Add peanuts and cornflakes. 

This batter is stiff. Drop by teaspoon 

onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 

350° 12-15 mins. 

Mama Ann’s 

Fresh Apple Cake 

• 2 cups sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 1 cup oil 

• 2½ cup plain flour 

• 1 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. soda 


• 2 cups peeled and chopped apples 


Preheat oven 425°. Combine sugar, 

eggs and oil. Add dry ingredients. 

Add apples and nuts. Bake at least one 

hour in a greased 9x13 baking pan. 

Pumpkin Roll 

• 3 eggs 

• 1 cup sugar 

• 1 tsp lemon juice 

• 3/4 cup flour 


• 2 tsp. cinnamon 

• 1 tsp. ginger 

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 

• 1/2 tsp. salt 

• 1 cup nuts, chopped 

• 2/3 cup pumpkin 

• powdered sugar 

Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. 

Add sugar gradually. Stir in pumpkin 

and lemon juice. Mix all dry 

ingredients together in separate bowl. 

Add to pumpkin mixture. Mix well. 

Spread in greased and floured jelly 

roll pan. Top with nuts. Bake at 375 

for 15 minutes. Turn out on cloth 

sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

Start at side and roll up towel and 

cake. Let cool completely. 

Filling 

• 1 cup powdered sugar 

• 8 oz. cream cheese 

• 4 tsp. margarine or butter 

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla 

Beat all filling ingredients together 

until smooth. Unroll the cake. Spread 

the filling on cake. Roll back up (without 

the towel). Wrap in waxed paper 

and then with foil. Chill. Best if 

prepared the day before and allowed 

to chill overnight. Keep refrigerated. 

Penny Grandmother’s 

Punch 

• 4 cups cranberry juice 

• 4 cups pineapple juice 

• 1½ cups sugar 

• 1 T. almond extract 

• 2 liter ginger ale 

Mix first four ingredients then add 

ginger ale. 

Shrimp Scampi Dip 

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 

• 8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled, 

deveined and roughly chopped 

• 4 cloves garlic, minced 

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 

(can add more) 

• 1/4 cup white wine 

(can use chicken stock) 

• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed 

lemon juice 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground 

pepper to taste 

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room 

temperature 

• 1/4 cup sour cream 

• 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise 

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

cheese divided 

• 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan 

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 

a 9 inch baking dish or coat with 

cooking spray. Melt butter in a large 

skillet over medium heat. Add 

shrimp, garlic and red pepper flakes. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, 

about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and 

lemon juice; add salt and pepper to 

taste. Bring to a simmer; remove from 

heat and stir in cream cheese, sour 

cream, mayonnaise, parsley, 1/4 cup 

mozzarella, and parmesan. 

Spread mixture into the prepared 

baking dish and sprinkle with 

remaining cup of mozzarella. 

Bake until bubbly and golden, about 

10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately 

with crackers or garlic bread. 


What was a highlight 

Ashton 

Montgomery 

Getting my great 

teacher, Mrs. Stanford. 

Colleen 

Murphy 

Finishing my master’s 

at Mississippi College 

in medical sciences! 

Brantley 

Jones 

Going to China and 

adopting my new brother! 

Brooke 

Bruce 

Starting my senior year 

of college and getting to live 

with some of my best friends. 

Jenny, 

Livie, Norah, 

& Ava Byars 

Going to the beach this 

summer with the family! 

Braley 

Montgomery 

Getting 200 AR points 

in kindergarten. 


for you in 2018? 

Tika & Nadia 

Ferrell 

Going on vacation to 

Destin this summer! 

Peggy Sue 

Woods 

The best part has been 

my retirement! 

Stevie 

Franks 

Celebrating my 

one year anniversary 

with my wife, Haley. 

Stephen 

Coleman 

Finally finishing my master’s 

degree that I had put on the 

table for a while. I graduate 

in December! 

Crisalynn 

Moses 

Serving as an SGA senator, 

food services chair. This 

enabled me to help improve 

the student body’s campus 

dining experiences. 

Theresa 

Smith 

“Meme” being chosen 

to participate at Mistletoe 

Marketplace and my 

excellent staff! 




26 • November 2018 

“ 

I had some of the best 

friends I’ve ever had in life. 

”

An Atypical Vet 

CAMILLE ANDING 

“It was freezing cold off the shores of 

Korea that day on the flight deck of the USS 

Antietam Naval Aircraft Carrier. I was an 

assistant landing safety officer – the one you 

see on movies waving flags to assist pilots in 

landing their planes on ships – except we 

used paddles during those days. All the planes 

had landed or so we thought, so the main 

LSO went below deck. 

“Suddenly we spotted a late plane coming 

in, and the pilot radioed that he only had 

enough fuel to make one pass. I told him 

I was the assistant but if he would trust me, 

I knew how to do this. The pilot told me that 

he didn’t have a choice.” 

Harry Moore, the 91-year-old veteran 

paused, appearing to visualize the dangerous 

scene again. A smile broke across his face as he 

continued, “I brought that guy in and as soon 

as he got out of his aircraft, he looked me up 

and thanked me for saving his life.” 

It was obvious from the interview that 

Moore had led an atypical life, and the 

surprising realization was that the details, 

circumstances, and history, along with the 

dates, were catalogued and easily retrievable 

in his atypical memory. 

In 1945, Moore, a native of Tupelo, 

Mississippi, had just turned seventeen when 

the Germans surrendered in WWII. Three 

years later he was a passenger in a horrific car 

wreck that almost severed his left leg. While 

still recovering and on crutches, he entered 

the Army recruiting office to sign up for duty. 

The attending physician asked what he was 

doing there in his condition and sent him home. 

In 1950, after a full recovery and surprising 

everyone that he didn’t have a permanent 

limp, he joined the Navy. During those years 

in the military, he served on the USS Antietam, 

the USS Shangri-La, and the USS Yorktown. 

Moore considers those years some of the most 

rewarding and definitely most eventful days 

of his long life. 

From the carriers, he transferred to the 

Moffett Naval Air Station where he helped 

transport military personnel all over the 

country. “I even flew co-pilot on some of the 

trips,” he said. He added that he learned how 

to fly when he was fifteen – something he 

never told his parents during the lessons. 

“My mother would have killed me,” Moore 

confessed. 

The interview was lengthy but passed 

quickly due to the catalog of events the proud 

veteran shared. Once while on a carrier at sea, 

he and some friends were together when they 

heard a powerful boom overhead. A 500 

pound bomb had dropped from a plane 

resting just above them. “It was a miracle that 

it didn’t explode,” Moore said. 

Another time they were off the coast of 

Korea, and some of the sailors spotted a black 

mine floating near the ship. Some marines 

aboard the ship were called up to use their 

M1 rifles to detonate it. After several failed 

attempts, Moore asked if he could try. He 

took the rifle and on the first shot, blew up 

the mine. 

Even though Moore has mental files of 

adventures and good times stored in his 

memory, there were horrific accidents of 

pilots miscalculating landings on the carriers. 

Some instances he chooses not to discuss. 

A good friend and fellow sailor taught him 

to play the mandolin, and a small group of 

musicians formed and practiced on the ship. 

However a freak accident involving a plane 

misfiring a round took his friend’s life. Moore 

watched him die along with Moore’s desire to 

play the mandolin again. 

Moore still talks to a fellow sailor living in 

Missouri. “But about all we can talk about at 

our age is our ailments,” he said with a 

reflective smile. Once a week a relative picks 

him up at Brookdale Assisted Living in 

Clinton and takes him to a nearby facility to 

visit his wife, Grace, who’s dealing with a 

debilitating stroke. 

With his four sons living in Columbus, 

on the coast, and in Florida, he appreciates 

his neighbors at Brookdale. The military 

members who live there still get to share 

memories with each other, but the Ole Miss 

and State fans don’t appreciate it when he 

wears his Alabama cap! 

After being asked why he loved the military 

so much, he didn’t hesitate, “I had some of the 

best friends I’ve ever had in life.” Then he 

added, “I’d go back, but they don’t want me 

anymore.” 

Was that meant to be a joke? The evidence 

makes one think otherwise. l 


DECLARE HIS GLORY 

among the nations 

PSALM 96:3 

At Morrison Heights Baptist Church we share a vibrant life 

together as a family of hope. Jesus Christ has changed our lives 

and we know that He is the greatest hope for us and for people 

everywhere. 

And so we go, declaring His Glory among the nations – from 

Clinton to the ends of the earth. We invite you to join us! 

COME WORSHIP WITH US 

SUNDAY MORNING 9:00 & 10:45 

SUNDAY EVENING 5:00 

WEDNESDAY EVENING 6:00 

3000 HAMPSTEAD BOULEVARD • CLINTON, MS 

601.924.5620 www.morrisonheights.org 

Like Us on Facebook! 

...see you around town 


AT WOODCHASE 

601-925-0009 

131 Woodchase Park Dr. ~ Clinton, MS ~ woodchase@heritageproperties.com 

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. 

We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing 

because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. 

Need Not Be Built. For Marketing Purposes Only. All renderings, floor plans, features and photography are artist’s depictions only. 

Features, pricing and dimensions shown herein are subject to change without notice. All dimensions are approximate. Developer 

reserves the right to modify or adjust prices and/or specifications without notice. Special offers are subject to change without 

notification. All move in discounts and specials are not for existing residents. 


Introducing the 

Olde Towne 

Depot 



The Olde Towne Depot is a new 

building in Clinton that helps foster 

a sense of community and provide 

enrichment activities to its citizens. 

It is also a beautiful venue for events 

and showcases Clinton’s history. The 

Olde Towne Depot is a place where 

citizens of Clinton and visitors, alike, 

can learn about Clinton’s history with 

the railroads and gain an appreciation 

for the people that have paved the 

path before them. 

The grand opening and ribbon 

cutting for the Olde Towne Depot 

was on Tuesday, April 24. Both 

David Parker, the president of Main 

Street Clinton, and Mayor Phil Fisher 

welcomed everyone. 

Anna Boyd Hawks is the events 

coordinator for the Olde Towne 

Depot. She manages and promotes 

the activities and programs, and 

coordinates facility rentals. According 

to Hawks, it was Mayor Phil Fisher 

that originally had the idea to create 

the Olde Towne Depot. “Mayor 

Fisher is a big history buff and values 

Clinton’s unique past.” 

The mayor states that the purpose 

of the Olde Towne Train Depot is to 

capture Clinton’s history. Fisher said, 

“It serves as a meeting place for groups 

of up to 90 people. It also adds badly 

needed parking spaces to the Olde 

Towne area. The Depot will have 

sound equipment for those meetings, 

and host events from showers to 

children’s groups. It will also host a 


series of programs to keep community 

interest levels high, broaden other Brick 

Street activities, and grow involvement.” 

“All topics would center on the history 

of Clinton and the times (1823 to today),” 

he continued. “For example, we can host 

programs about life on the rails during the 

depression, the western expansion of the 

U.S., and train songs and folklore. 

Additionally, The Clinton Arts Council 

donated the money for a four train 

(HO scale) display that features the City 

of Clinton in 1875 (the Clinton Riot), 

1929 (the laying of the brick streets), the 

1950s (the heyday of trains), and a seasonal 

train (Christmas or 4th of July). Lucky 

Osborn is busy building the different 

dioramas and this display will provide a 

great opportunity for classroom visits and 

family time. The 1874 train/diorama is 

running, allowing an opportunity to tell 

the story of the 1874 Riot and challenging 

the children to find various animals/ 

landmarks within the setting. The train 

depot will be the starting place for the 

City’s Historical On-Line Tour (HOLT) 

- completed in 2018. The goal of HOLT 

is to draw people to Clinton, see our 21 

historical markers, and spend money 

throughout our community.” 

“The depot serves as the welcome 

center to Olde Towne Clinton, directs 

visitors to unique historical locations 

throughout Clinton, and showcases our 

community’s rich history through railrelated 

displays. Clinton’s past includes 

incredibly unique people, places and events 

which served to add character to our 

community, then and now,” explains Hawks. 

Hawks has seen how the Olde Towne 

Depot has positively impacted the Clinton 

community. “Already we have seen how a 

better understanding of one’s community 

inspires both empathy and pride. As visitors 

tour the space, we share information regarding 

scenes shown on the model train diorama 

and other displays. Visitors hear stories about 

Charles Caldwell and the Clinton Riot of 

1875. They see photos of Clinton’s historic 

depot buildings and learn about life on the 

railroad,” said Hawks. 

Since opening, the depot has hosted 40 

events such as birthday parties, business 

retreats and wedding receptions. “The space 

here has been used for Main Street Clinton 

events such as Just the Girls, volunteer 

receptions, and committee meetings. By 

hosting these events, nearly 1,600 people 

have had a chance to see and appreciate our 

unique downtown and the history that 

surrounds it,” said Hawks. 

Native Clintonian Mallory Berg had her 

wedding reception at the depot in August. 

“I was so excited when I learned of this spot 

as a venue option. We loved the building! 

The woodwork inside is gorgeous. We also 

loved all of the pictures and historical 

information they had,” said Berg. 

There are various ongoing events 

scheduled at the Olde Towne Depot. One 

of these is the monthly children’s reading 

which occurs on the first Tuesday of the 

month at 3:30 p.m. It is a free event. They 

also are in the planning stages for some 

upcoming historical events and art exhibits. 

“In the future, we hope to host historical 

exhibits, dinner theatre productions, art 

shows, and more,” said Hawks. 

Hawks says most every day at the Olde 

Towne Depot looks different. “This week, 

you might see us unpacking bikes as Main 

Street prepares to roll out its new bike share 

program. Back in July, we held a kids’ summer 

camp for students and in September, we 

hosted a ladies’ day out event. Nearly every 

day includes giving a tour of the space and 

reminiscing about the railroad with seniors 

or watching the model train with an excited 

group of kids,” said Hawks. 

The four-day summer camp held in July 

was for kids who had completed second to 

fourth grades. They learned a lot and did a 

variety of hands-on activities such as creating 

a tunnel book and making a diorama. They 

learned about the Transcontinental Railroad 

in America, the Chunnel connecting Europe 

and France, the Maglev in China, and the 

Ghan in Australia. 

There are special events going on this 

winter at the depot, as well. They will be 

selling Christmas trees in late November and 

early December and Christmas parade floats 

will be available for viewing following the 

Christmas parade. They will also be having a 

“Polar Express” theme night on December 7 

and 8 with pajama party and a showing of the 

film. Christmas crafts and train rides will take 

place on December 14 and 15. 

The Olde Towne Depot is a beautiful 

building built with old-fashioned charm to 

remind you of a simpler day and time. If you 

haven’t been there, you’ll definitely want to 

check it out! The Olde Towne Depot is just 

another example of a great way the city of 

Clinton has provided fun, educational 

opportunities and fostered a sense of 

community. l 


The depot serves as 

the welcome center 

to Olde Towne Clinton, 

directs visitors to unique 

historical locations 

throughout Clinton, 

and showcases our 

community’s rich history 

through rail-related 

displays. 



AVoice of Hope 

Abigail Walker 

It can be hard to stay 

optimistic when facing 

the life-altering diagnosis 

of ALS. But for Hal Mardis 

and others who suffer 

from the terminal illness, 

technology continues to 

offer hope and help 

reclaim a voice for 

the voiceless. 

While on a cruise in November 2016, Hal 

began noticing weakness in his hands and arms. 

“I couldn’t button my shirts and was having 

trouble opening lids and bottle caps,” he says. 

“He was getting unstable when walking 

and was dropping things,” adds Hal’s wife, 

Donna Mardis. 

After several tests, doctors thought Hal 

might have had a mini stroke, but it wasn’t 

until a family friend helped get Hal into Mayo 

Clinic in October 2017, that they were finally 

given the diagnosis of ALS. 

According to Mayo Clinic, Amyotrophic 

Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)–also known as Lou 

Gehrig’s disease–is a progressive nervous 

system (neurological) disease that destroys 

nerve cells and causes disability. There is no 

known cause for ALS and, unfortunately, no 

cure. Currently, there are only two drugs used 

to slow down the progression of the disease, 

which the ALS Association says differs from 

person to person. 

“It starts robbing you of movements,” says 

Hal. “It feels like you’re slowly melting.” 

He began losing movement in his hands, 

arms, and eventually, his legs. It wasn’t until 

recently that Hal started noticing problems 

with his speech as well. 

“With ALS, there’s always something new 

you’re having to accept daily,” says Brandi 

Nickles, care services director for the 

Mississippi chapter of the ALS Association. 


“My goal is to try to keep 

people ahead of the beast.” 

Nickles, who helped provide Hal with a 

wheelchair and other necessary equipment, 

suggested the Mardises look into voice 

banking. 

Voice banking is a system of recording a 

person’s voice so that those at risk of losing 

their speech from diseases such as ALS can 

communicate once their ability to speak is 

gone. One voice banking system, ModelTalker, 

became popular through Team Gleason, an 

organization founded by former New Orleans 

Saints football player, Steve Gleason. 

Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 

and started the organization with the goal of 

finding a cure and helping others cope with 

the disease. He was able to use voice banking 

to create the synthetic voice he communicates 

with today. Since part of their mission 

is providing communication technology to 

those with ALS, Team Gleason covered the 

ModelTalker registration cost for Hal. 

The Mardises enlisted the help of friend 

Tom Edwards, worship leader at First United 

Methodist Church of Clinton, to help with 

the voice bank recording. “I’ve known their 

family for a while now, and I was happy to be 

able to use my skillset to help in some way,” 

says Edwards. 

To qualify for ModelTalker, Edwards 

recorded Hal saying a series of 30 phrases 

that were then tested for volume, speech rate, 

and pronunciation. The process requires 

absolute silence, so Edwards created a 

makeshift recording studio in the Mardises’ 

bedroom. 

Once Hal’s voice was determined strong 

enough, Edwards came over regularly to 

record. Each time, ModelTalker prompted 

Hal to repeat a series of nouns, places, and 

phrases, many of which were from books 

such as The Wizard of Oz or White Fang. 

But they also wanted to be sure to include 

anything Hal was likely to say on a daily 

basis. This included family names, places he 

often visits, things he needs daily, and, of 

course, some of his favorite catch phrases. 

“His favorite answer is ‘noooooo,’” says 

his son Scott Mardis. “Or if we ask him for 

anything, ‘I’m broke.’” 

Hal’s daughter-in-law, Kimberly Mardis, 

also made sure to tell him the name of her 

unborn child so he could go ahead and record 

himself saying his grandson’s name. 

The voice banking took a little over a 

month to complete. At least 8 sessions of 

300-400 phrases for 2-3 hours at a time 

totaled to over 1,600 words. 

The constant speaking was exhausting 

for Hal, who was already beginning to lose 

some of his lung capacity. Edwards says it was 

almost a race to get it finished since the 

quality of Hal’s voice changed week to week. 

“I enjoyed getting to spend time with 

him,” says Edwards. “He’s such a great guy, 

and it was a bittersweet project to work on.” 

All of Hal’s voice recordings will be 

logged onto a tablet that will allow him to 

communicate once his speech is gone. Using 

head movements or eye gazes, he will be able 

to direct the computer to say whatever he’d 

like. Devices like the one Hal will have read 

the eye’s pupils to determine what someone 

is looking at on the screen, and a form of 

predictive text is built in as well. Hal will also 

be able to access the internet with the device. 


Edwards says he was amazed at how 

simple ModelTalker was to use. “It’s so 

amazing that it’s able to capture his actual 

voice,” he says. “Every sound will be a sound 

he made with his own vocal chords.” 

“It may not be perfect,” says Hal. “But it 

will be my voice.” 

Hal jokes about the advanced features 

that will enable him to speak in any language 

and choose even the most unique dialect. 

“I’m trying to convince them to let me talk 

like Brad Pitt,” he says. 

“This is helpful for anyone who’s losing 

their voice, not just ALS patients,” says 

Donna. 

Donna and Nickles stress the importance 

of voice banking early on. 

“You never want to be without your 

voice,” says Nickles. “It’s important to be 

aggressive with the disease and to prepare.” 

Hal and Donna credit God, as well as 

their church, friends, and family for helping 

them get through this difficult time. 

Since ALS can be an isolating disease, 

Hal says visiting those with ALS can make 

all the difference and that his weekly guests 

have been a gift. “I can’t tell you how many 

people have come out to see us,” says Donna. 

This past September, Hal’s friends and 

family supported him by taking part in the 

ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS. 

Team “Hal’s Pals” alone raised over $19,000, 

which goes to ALS research and helping 

provide families with needed equipment. 

Hal also won “Most Money Raised” and 

“Most Spirited.” 

“They were the top fundraising team,” 

says Nickles. “The huge crowd in green shirts 

who came to support Hal showed how much 

he is loved.” 

Hal’s Pals also wore bracelets with the 

verse that has been an encouraging reminder 

for the Mardis family: “Be joyful in hope, 

patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 

(Romans 12:12) 

“Our faith in God is what has brought us 

through all of this, but it’s still been hard,” 

says Donna. 

“He’s taking it better than most of us 

would,” says Hal’s son, Josh Mardis. 

“He’s always positive and encouraging 

other people,” adds Kimberly. “He’s still a 

constant friend to so many and always has 

an open door policy.” 

“To see Hal’s faith and strength through 

his journey has strengthened my own faith,” 

says Hal’s former caretaker, Jeremy Freeman. 

“His character is inspiring.” 

To find out more about ALS and voice banking, and 

to donate to ALS research, go to teamgleason.org 

and webla.als.org. 


EVERYTHING FROM TIRE REPAIRS 

TO MAJOR ENGINE REPAIRS 

AUTO AND DIESEL WORK 

449 E. NORTHSIDE DRIVE • CLINTON, MS 39056 • 601-924-2325 



In the 

WAKE 

of the 

STORM 

Erica Bradshaw, Chief Development Officer, Mississippi Region 

Susan Marquez 

Natural disasters can be 

devastating. No matter how well 

you plan, there’s still something 

that will be needed. It’s during 

those times, following a 

disaster, that organizations 

like the American Red Cross, 

The Salvation Army, and others 

step in to provide shelter, food, 

supplies and other basic needs 

as people attempt to recover 

and rebuild their lives. 

Hurricane Michael is the 

latest natural disaster to hit the 

United States. It blew into the 

panhandle of Florida in early 

October as the first Category 4 

hurricane in recorded history. 

The hurricane moved through 

quickly, yet it only took a few 

hours to generate a path of 

destruction. The most catastrophic 

damage occurred in 

Mexico Beach, a small seaside 

haven near Panama City with 

a population of just over 1000 

people. Cars were tossed, 

homes were carried away by 

floodwaters and the entire 

town was nearly decimated. 

Erica Bradshaw, chief 

development officer of the 

Mississippi Region of the 

American Red Cross, traveled 


OCTOBER 13, 2018 / Red Cross Shelter 

Bozeman High School / Panama City, FL 

American Red Cross nurse Denise Smith confers with 

shelter residents to access their health needs. Red 

Cross nurses are routinely present in shelters to provide 

disaster health services such as monitoring blood 

pressure, assisting with refilling lost or used up critical 

prescriptions, checking blood glucose levels of residents 

with diabetes, and other critical health needs. Home for 

Denise is Issaquah, Washington. She left her home and 

flew across the country to serve the health needs of 

shelter residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. 

Photo by Daniel Cima/American Red Cross 

to Tallahassee, from her home 

are letting people sleep in the 

here is so fragile and leaning 

Michael Upton, regional 

in Madison, ahead of the storm, 

lobbies, they’re not turning 

on each other for emotional 

philanthropy officer for the 

in order to be on the ground the 

anyone away.” 

support. But in the end, people 

Mississippi Region of the 

moment rescue and recovery 

Bradshaw says that so many 

are mighty, strong and able, 

American Red Cross. “Financial 

began. According to her, what 

people feel isolated and 

staying focused and determined 

donations are always most 

she has seen and heard is 

forgotten. “I shared videos with 

to be all and give all.” 

appreciated, because we can 

“heart crushing.” Her phone 

shelter residents that I took of 

Agencies, church groups and 

then use the money for 

constantly beeped with public 

convoys of service trucks trying 

others from across the United 

specific needs. Our main focus 

emergency alerts for food and 

desperately to get in to help 

States are calling to offer gifts 

is to provide shelter, food and 

water. “Children need food. 

them. By day five, it was hard 

of sunblock, bug spray, wood, 

supplies. But when we are 

The uncertainty of those who 

for them to believe anyone was 

nails, hammers, tarps, food and 

bombarded with donated items, 

don’t know where their loved 

coming. I have given more hugs 

water. But sorting out those 

we have to spend manpower to 

ones are, or if they’re even alive, 

and cried more tears in the past 

supplies and distributing them 

organize it, find a place to store 

is gut wrenching. I’ve seen 

week, just seeing and hearing 

is a massive job on its own. 

it then distribute it. And many 

search and rescue teams working 

what has been going on. It’s 

“While those gifts are appreci- 

times, the items we get aren’t 

around the clock. EMTs, too. 

hard for staff, volunteers and 

ated, the best thing people can 

what is really needed.” 

Shelters are packed full. Hotels 

clients to be strong, as everyone 

do is donate money,” says 


OCTOBER 13, 2018 / Panama City, FL 

Panama City resident Catherine Nolan was relieved to see a 

feeding vehicle in her neighborhood not only so she could get 

a freshly cooked meal for dinner but also find out the location 

of the nearest Red Cross shelter and escape the heat at night. 


Bradshaw says that when 

they are unable to meet donor’s 

requests, they call on partners 

like The Salvation Army. “We 

have re-routed truckloads of 

supplies to The Salvation Army 

Atlanta and Tampa warehouses. 

Food, clothing, baby needs and 

other supplies are now being 

distributed to where they need 

to go, in a more organized 

manner.” The Red Cross is also 

setting up staging warehouses 

as satellite locations to drop off 

supplies and they will continue 

to replenish them. 

There are so many things 

that we don’t think about as we 

sit comfortably in our homes. 

There are staff and volunteers 

that have to be transported 

and housed. Uber and Lyft are 

transporting staff, volunteers, 

and clients in and out of the 

area. Airline companies are 

partnering with the Red Cross. 

Boating companies have also 

been in conversation with the 

Red Cross to provide food 

and accommodate sleeping for 

about 20 people on each boat. 

There are other basic needs 

that are being met such as 

filtered water backpacks so 

people can brush their teeth, 

port-o-potties, laundry services, 

shower services, dog food, ice, 

generators, baby products and 

so much more. 

As days, weeks, and even 

months go by, Hurricane 

Michael, inevitably, will become 

a forgotten news story to most. 

But the recovery and rebuilding 

will continue for a long time to 

come. “At minimum, we are 

probably looking at this 

particular operation being 

well over $10 million,” says 

Bradshaw. 

This holiday season, one of 

the best gifts you can give is a 

gift to help others in need. ✚ 


OCTOBER 13, 2018 / Mexico City, FL 

OCTOBER 16, 2018 / Panama City, FL 

Hurricane Michael inflicted a monstrous amount of 

damage to this beach-side community as it slammed 

into the Florida Panhandle with almost 150 mile per hour 

winds. Boats were tumbled every-which way on the 

shore along harbor areas and even well inland. Homes 

were blown completely off foundations and tossed 

many yards away, and in many cases homes were 

reduced to construction rubble. Almost every building 

suffered severe damage. 


Five-year-old Alejah enjoys her meal while living in the 

shelter. Alejah, along with her family, found refuge in the 

Breakfast Point Red Cross shelter after their home was 

destroyed by Hurricane Michael. 


Erica Bradshaw, Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the national 

American Red Cross and Angela Turner of Vicksburg, MS. 

Photo courtesy of the American Red Cross. 

To donate to the American Red Cross 

ONLINE redcross.org 

PHONE Michael Upton at 662-260-9739 

TEXT REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross Disaster Relief 

MAIL American Red Cross, 9 River Bend Place, Suite 100, Flowood, MS 39202 

To donate to The Salvation Army 

MAIL The Salvation Army, 110 Presto Lane, Jackson, MS 39206 


44 • November 2018 

Happy Holidays 

to all our readers 

and advertisers!

ServingOUR 

Community 

Why did you decide to be a fireman? 

I was working at St. Dominic’s hospital as 

an orderly and my wife saw an ad in the 

paper that the Clinton Fire Department 

was hiring. The people I worked with at 

the hospital said I would be a good EMT, 

so I went for it. 

How long have you been with the Clinton 

Fire Department? 

I am going on 29 years working here. 

Tell us about your family. 

I have a wife and two kids. I’ve been 

married for 34 years. My son lives in 

Brandon and my daughter lives out of state. 

I have 4 grandkids. 

What is the toughest thing you have 

experienced in your job? 

Seeing family members suffer through a 

tragedy is the hardest part of my job. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in your 

spare time. 

I like tennis, walking with my wife, and 

studying The Word. 

LIEUTENANT 

Stephen Lee 

CLINTON 

FIRE DEPARTMENT 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

I would love to spend more time with my 

grandkids, make sure family is well 

informed about global issues, and I would 

love to be able to do more traveling. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

My mother and wife share this because 

they keep me grounded. My mother is very 

humble and my wife is very easygoing. 

These are some of the qualities that make 

them stand out. 

Where do you see yourself ten years from now? 

I see myself retired, spending more time 

with my family, and enjoying life. I would 

also like to be inspiring others to come to 

and really study the Word of God and allow 

them to see it firsthand. 

If you could give one piece of advice to a 

young person, what would it be? 

Put the electronics down and interact 

with people. 

What is a favorite childhood memory? 

I’d have to say being able to take a field trip 

out of town. My family didn’t have a car 

until I was 20 years old, so being able to go 

out into the world was exciting. 

What is the biggest mistake you think young 

people make today? 

Thinking that they know everything 

and not utilizing the experience that is 

around them. 

What is your favorite thing about the 

City of Clinton? 

I like the quietness of Clinton. There’s 

not all the foolishness here that other 

cities have. 


Memories of the Heart 


Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories 

and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year 

for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder 


We all have our own memories of Christmases-past. Mine 

mostly involve my grandmother’s house. I was the only child 

of a single working-parent, and my mother and I would most 

often rely on my grandmother to create and fulfill all our 

holiday experiences. And she was happy to do it, too. 

She’d have the yard man haul her eight-foot artificial tree 

down from the attic every year and stand it in the corner of the 

living room–along with ornaments stored in partitioned boxes 

once gathered from some liquor store. We’d string the colored 

lights around the tree and then I would begin the task of 

strategically placing all the balls and tinsel garland. Sometimes 

we’d use icicles to finish it off and it would inevitably end up 

looking like an explosion of aluminum. 

On Christmas morning the house would smell divine. There 

would be a turkey in the oven along with cornbread dressing and 

a sweet potato casserole. The dressing was a family favorite and 

was especially delicious when served mashed-up with white rice 

and gravy. 

We’d be seated at the kitchen table and each place setting 

would be complete with a freshly-ironed cloth napkin. Christmas 

Day was not a day for folded paper towels. It was special. We’d 

use the good plates, too. 

Everyone had their glass of tea made from that granulated 

instant tea powder-stuff that just dissolved in water–and one 

solid can-shaped, ribbed, jellied cranberry sauce jiggled on a 

saucer in the middle of it all. I never understood the cranberry 

sauce. Or the Le Sueur peas, for that matter. Clearly I had not 

yet developed a sophisticated palette. I was just a kid, after all. 

And when it was time to give thanks, it would always be the 

same: “Father we thank Thee for these and all our blessings. 

Amen.” Didn’t matter who said it–it was always those exact 

words. For decades. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

When my grandmother died in 2012, I brought her kitchen 

table to my house. I didn’t have room for it but it was just one of 

those things that I couldn’t part with. We had played countless 

hands of double-solitaire on that table, had a thousand 

conversations–and had eaten all those Christmas dinners. 

I had to put it on the back porch. It wasn’t “in” the elements, 

but wasn’t inside, either. Not surprisingly, after a few years, the 

polyurethane began to peel and the wood was showing damage. 

So I decided to refinish it. I sanded it, by hand, for no less 

than twelve hours–with no TV and no radio. The sound of 

rubbing away generations of DNA consumed me completely. 

And after all the rubbing and sanding and scraping and 

remembering, I got to bare wood. The table was completely raw. 

And it smelled amazing. 

It was a cross between cedar and perfume. It was an 

emotional smell. I felt transported to another time. Memories 

flooded my eyes. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

As the years wore on, Christmases at my grandmother’s 

became less involved. There was less participation. She was 

getting older. Everyone had other lives. They lived in far-off 

places and experienced life’s normal distractions. Our group 

had become fractured. Sometimes family dynamics, themselves, 

presented their own difficulties. 

At some point, gatherings and gifts had become more 

obligatory and less meaningful. Christmas mornings were 

filled with socks, and bathrobes, and packaged undershirts– 

and stress. It was easier to give an envelope containing a 

twenty-dollar bill. The faded excitement of Christmas 

morning had become a distant expectation. 

But on one particular Christmas morning, ironically the 

last that I remember celebrating there, there was one wrapped 

package that was larger than the rest. It disrupted the otherwise 

low-lying landscape of the few gifts under the tree. It was a 

single box, had one of those big puffy bows on top, and it had 

my name on it. 


Unlike so many times before, this wasn’t 

something I had purchased myself, then 

wrapped, and placed under the tree with a 

tiny gift card in my own handwriting that said, 

“To: Mary Ann, From: G’mama.” This was an 

actual surprise! When I turned to her, she just 

stood there, waiting, with a childlike twinkle in 

her own eye. 

I ripped the paper off of it like a six-year 

old. And much to my astonishment, it was a 

big, white, fluffy, teddy bear with a red knit hat 

and scarf. What in the world? For the life of 

me I couldn’t imagine what possessed her to 

buy it. It was so completely uncharacteristic– 

not to mention, I was grown! 

But I didn’t care why. I loved it. That 

moment captured and resurrected a magic 

that had been missing on Christmas morning 

for many years. I think it did the same for her, 

too. We both squealed out loud and continued 

to giggle throughout the day. 

That bear served as a perfect reminder that 

no matter where life takes you, or what life’s 

circumstances deal you, it’s important to keep 

the child-like magic of Christmas near. To this 

day, I still have it. 

✧ ✧ ✧ 

So now, every mid-November, we pull 

down an eight-foot artificial tree out of our 

own attic–the very same tree that my 

grandmother had in her home. The kitchen 

table wasn’t the only thing I inherited. And 

while this one continues to show its age, and 

I’ve threatened to get a new one a dozen 

times, I never do. I’m not sure I can. 

I’m keenly aware that the very things we 

are doing in our home, my son may someday 

do for his own children. I’ve tried to be very 

deliberate in that regard. Intentional. 

Nearly all the ornaments on our tree 

reference a specific time in our lives or a 

vacation that we took together. And, as has 

become tradition, we get a new blown-glass 

ornament every year. We have dozens of 

them. There’s a football, a baseball, and a 

buffalo marking our trip to the Grand Canyon. 

We have Yoda as a nod to our Star Wars 

phase, Lilly and Lucy–our beloved dogs that 

have gone before us, and Thomas the Tank 

Engine. We have a blown-glass peanut to 

celebrate our fall peanut boils and now, in 

addition, I pull out all our stuffed animal 

friends to mark yet another special season 

in life that has passed but is not forgotten– 

my own white teddy bear being one of them. 

These things are important, regardless of age, 

and provide comfort and special memories 

for our family. 

Turns out, Christmas was never about 

“stuff.” It’s about memories–childhood 

memories that never fade. When all our kids 

are grown and gone and making their own 

memories, they may not remember the 

specific gifts they got–but they’ll remember 

the tree, and who was around it. And the 

smells. And how they felt. And all the love 

that was shared–at Christmas. l 


H O M E T O W N 

Christmas 

Market 

D E C E M B E R 

7 

- 8 

Friday, December 7th • 12noon-9pm 

Saturday, December 8th • 8am-2pm 

The Vault venue 

202 N. College st. • Brandon, MS 



An 

Opportunity 

toWork 

In the hustle and bustle of every day life, between hitting the 

snooze button on the alarm, scrambling to get the coffee made, and 

getting out of the door on time, it’s easy for many of us to take for 

granted the fact that we have an opportunity to work. While working 

hard to provide for yourself or your family is seen as something an 

adult must do, and they should, it is often forgotten that there’s a 

population of people who, in many instances, might never get the 

chance to do so—even in limited measures. 

Danny Walker, vocational manager at the SON Valley Community 

Center in Ridgeland, seeks to change that. 

Founded in 2007, SON Valley is a Christian nonprofit that 

serves the intellectually disabled community in our area. Through 

various services in their Ridgeland and Canton locations, SON 

Valley “Patrons” are able to live in assisted living environments, 

participate in activities at their community center, and live out their 

lives in an enriching and fulfilling way. One way SON Valley seeks 

to further the lives of their Patrons is by facilitating their job 

employment program. 

Although SON Valley has worked to find employment 

opportunities for Patrons since their opening, many businesses are 

still unaware of this program and Walker works day in and day out 

to bridge that gap. 

“I talk to people a lot who say they’d be interested in hiring one of 

our Patrons but sometimes they might need help in coming up with 

ideas on how or what they could do,” said Walker. “I try to tell them 

that if they’ll come up with a couple basic needs, I can find the right 

fit to help. Sometimes it is really like putting together a puzzle.” 

One aspect of this program that has proved incredibly beneficial 

all around is the addition of a job coach. In essence, each Patron 

that is hired for a position at a business has the potential to have a 

“job coach”, who is hired and paid for by SON Valley, and with 

them while they are working. These job coaches help the Patrons, 

on a one-on-one basis, stay on task and best perform their job. It is 

beneficial for the Patrons because it allows them to have someone 

work alongside them in a support role at their own pace, and it 

also takes pressure off of the organization or business to offer that 

specific type of assistance during each shift. 

In addition to providing a job coach, SON Valley also facilitates 

transportation of Patrons to and from their jobs. Whether it’s 

folding t-shirts at a clothing store, putting stickers on bath balms 

at Musee, cleaning dishes, taking someone’s movie ticket at Malco, 

or helping serve at Chick-fil-A, SON Valley Patrons are excellent, 

motivated, and happy employees who sometimes just need the 

chance – the opportunity – to prove their work ethic. 



Hometown Clinton 

READER 

SPOTLIGHT 

Ann 

SCHOGGENS 

Why did you decide to make Clinton 

your home? 

David and I heard Clinton had a good school 

system and with two young children, that was 

important to us at the time. 

How long have you lived in Clinton? 

36 years. 

Tell us about your family. 

David and I grew up in Columbus, Mississippi. 

After he graduated from Mississippi State, 

we moved to Greenville, Mississippi, for three 

years. Then we moved to Clinton. After 40 

years of service, David retired from Entergy 

in February 2018. 

David and I have three children: Carley is a 

teacher at Eastside and she is married to Allen 

who teaches at Clinton High School. Will is the 

owner of SchoggenScapes and is married to 

Pamela and they have two children, Murphy 

(10), and Macy Kate (8). Phil is the co-owner 

of SchoggenScapes and is married to Miranda, 

who is a court reporter. 

What is your favorite memory of 

living in Clinton? 

Many years of band activities and watching 

the children play soccer, baseball, and 

softball. 

Where are your three favorite places 

to eat in Clinton? 

Chick-fil-A, Fox’s, and The Bank. 

What are some fun things to do in 

Clinton on the weekends? 

Go to the soccer and baseball fields at 

Traceway Park. 

Share some things you enjoy doing 

in your spare time. 

Going to any Mississippi State ballgame 

whether it be football, basketball, or baseball. 

We love it all! 

What are three things on your 

bucket list? 

Go to all 50 states, go to all SEC stadiums, and 

see Mount Rushmore and the national parks 

in the surrounding area. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

I admire my dad. When he was going 

through an illness that took his life, he never 

complained. He was a humble man and loved 

his family. 

Where do you see yourself ten years 

from now? 

I see myself living in Clinton and loving life. 

What is your favorite childhood 

memory? 

My parents had a farm, which is where they 

eventually moved, and we would go there 

every Saturday. My dad would be working 

and Mom would cook lunch to take to him. 

Close to Labor Day, he would cook Brunswick 

Stew in a big black iron pot. Many memories 

are held there. 

If you could give us one encouraging 

quote, what would it be? 

I can do all things through Christ who 

strengthens me. –Phillipans 4:13 

What is your favorite thing about 

Hometown Magazines? 

The focus that is made on our town! l 


LifeLessons 

f rom 

Lela Bell 

Erin Williams 


For 26 years Lela Bell McDill, 

my Mawmaw, was the light of my life. 

Growing up, my sisters and I were blessed 

to live right next door from Mawmaw and 

Pawpaw; it wasn’t uncommon for us to come 

to and from their house five or six times a 

day. Because of that, my grandparents were 

more than grandparents to me. They were, 

in a lot of ways, just an extension of us. We 

were connected to them in a way that many 

won’t ever understand. 

When I was given the opportunity to 

write this article in memory of Mawmaw, 

I thought how in the world am I going to 

sum up 26 years of camaraderie, love, 

instruction, cooking lessons, funny talks, 

and hugs? In August of 2015, Mawmaw 

suffered a massive stroke to two thirds of 

her brain. This stroke caused the left side of 

her body to lose movement and should’ve 

taken her life; however, God was gracious to 

give us two and a half more years with her 

before she was freed from her bed at home 

and able to run into the arms of Jesus on 

January 30, 2017. 

On September 6, 2016, I began a series 

of interviews with Mawmaw that I treasure 

now with all my heart. It was a time for me 

to ask her questions and write the lessons 

(although they were already engrained in 

my head) down on paper so that they could 

be passed on. Although the interviews were 

broken up into several periods and over the 

course of multiple days, her answers serve as 

a model for how we should all live our lives. 

While I have over sixty questions and 

her answers, I wanted to share a few of my 

favorites below. If she were here, Mawmaw 

would be so tickled. 


You , ve lived your life keeping God first. 

How do you do that? 

Read your bible every day. Read your bible 

because it changes you. Each morning, 

remember all the things God has done for 

you and all the blessings He has given you. 

Pray for your pastor and his family. 

What advice would you give someone 

who , s going through a tough time in 

their life? 

I’d tell them to keep walking because you’ll 

come out of the valley eventually. Every day 

is a good day; some days are just better than 

others. Count your blessing aloud and name 

them one by one until you start feeling 

better. Don’t think of what you don’t have; 

think of what you do. 

You were married to Pawpaw for 59 

years before he went to Heaven, so what 

advice would you give on marriage? 

Let your husband be the head of the home 

and you be the heart of the home. The 

body can’t live without the head and the 

heart working together. Let him have the 

last word, and you set the tone for how 

your home feels so it’s a place he wants to 

come home to. Keep God first in your 

marriage and He will take care of you. 

What advice would you give on 

raising kids? 

Learn to overlook the small things. If my 

kids didn’t keep their rooms clean all the time, 

I’d just shut the doors. Pick your battles 

and tell them you love them every day. 

What advice would you give on work? 

You’ll never have anything in life if you 

don’t work for it. Work at your job as if 

you’re working for the Lord and not men. 

You , ve always cooked three homemade 

meals a day. What advice would you 

give on cooking? 

Life makes more sense the messier the 

kitchen. Don’t use the fat-free stuff 

because it’ll never taste as good as the real 

stuff. Make extra so there’s always room at 

your table for one more. 

What advice would you give on beauty? 

Beauty comes from within. You can be 

pretty on the outside and downright ugly 

on the inside. Pretty is as pretty does; that’s 

what people will remember you by. 

What advice would you give to someone 

when they , re feeling tired? 

Sit down and take a rest for a while. After 

you feel better, get back up and get back to 

what you’re doing. More than likely, what 

you’re doing will be there tomorrow. 

You , ve always loved to garden. 

What gardening advice do you have? 

Keep up with the weeds in your garden, 

and in your life, before they get out of 

control. Make sure that when you water, 

it reaches the roots. Every insect loves an 

eggplant. The more you cut zinnias, the 

more they will make. 


What do you think about material 

possessions? 

Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on 

Earth but store them up in Heaven because 

you won’t be taking them with you. But, it’s 

ok to use the fine china, because if you 

don’t someone else will. 

What would you say when you 

feel like your prayers are going 

unanswered? 

Keep praying and don’t stop; sometimes 

things just take a while. 

What advice would you give to someone 

at age 15? Age 30? Age 55? 

Cover yourself up some and enjoy it 

because you won’t be that young again. 

Don’t worry so much about cleaning the 

house; just enjoy your kids. You’re about to 

retire soon and you’ll like that. 

What , s a memory you had growing up? 

We grew up very poor and we didn’t know 

what air conditioning was so we’d sleep 

with the windows open. My mother would 

tell us it was so our guardian angels could 

look in and see us. 

How are Christmases different now 

than when you were a kid? 

We were poor so we didn’t get much— 

sometimes an apple or an orange. One 

time I got a coat that I loved but I had to 

give it back because my parents ended up 

needing the money. I never expected 

much and learned young that things aren’t 

everything, people are. I grew up with a lot 

of love, and I live with a lot of love. 

What would you like your legacy 

to be? 

I hope that people saw Jesus in me. I want 

others to know that I was a good wife and 

a good mother and I tried to be a good 

example to my kids. I want my family to 

know that I always loved them and that 

they make me proud. 

What do you want to say to Jesus 

when you meet Him one day? 

I want to tell Him thank you for everything 

He has done for me. I want to tell 

Him that I love Him. 

I still remember the days after she 

went to Heaven; because I missed her 

so much, I would pray to just have a 

dream about her. There were a few 

times that I did. 

Not a day goes by that I don’t think 

about Mawmaw. Even now, I have a 

note she wrote me on my nightstand 

and pictures of her and Pawpaw 

scattered throughout my home. Each 

day I wish that she could have met 

my daughter. 

Just like the many lessons she taught 

me are engrained into my mind and 

my heart, I find myself doing things 

daily that also remind me of Mawmaw. 

I remember Mawmaw when I cook, 

when I refill the hummingbird’s sugar 

water, when I read Philippians 4:6, when 

I work in my own garden, and, mostly, 

when I look in the mirror and see those 

brown eyes – the same brown eyes she 

gave me – staring back at me. 

Mawmaw was a lot of things to a 

lot of people. She was the person who 

taught me how to garden, snap beans, 

ice cakes, and cook extra to make room 

for another person to join us at the 

table. Mawmaw’s strong arms that, 

all too soon, didn’t work like they used 

to, but still managed to have a hold on 

my heart that remains today. She was 

the person who seemed to know a 

little bit about everything and had 

the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever 

known. These lessons are photographs 

of her and me – memories and 

moments of a past summer that now 

seems so far away. 

And with each lesson lived out, 

there you are, Mawmaw. I sure have 

missed you. l 


The CHALKBOARD 

CLINTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Respect 

These students were selected by teachers and staff and received 

an award for showing Respect, our character trait for the month of 

September at Clinton Junior High School. Each student received an 

award certificate and a special pin to wear. 

7th Grade - Front L-R: Inaja Walker, Logan Bryant, Nyla Heard, Timothy 

Leach, Ta’Leya Horton, Taylor Wilkerson, Nadia Wilson, Kaida Bowen, 

Back: Timothy Spann, Jakaden Crump, Tate Byrd Madox Carmean, Lucy 

Stackler, Ashley Duke, Sara Polk 

8th Grade - Front L-R: Gia Guice, Paola Bracero Sierra Robinson, Erin Wilson, Prachi Fnu, Brooke Richards, Lauren Guthrie 

Back: Donovan Morris, Kaileb Davis, Blake Little, Gavin Keir, Jordan Pullum, Levi Baker, Jalia Rudd, Kyler Hutton 


Donny Gray to Lead CPSD 

Transportation Department 

DOVE Award 

Donny Gray makes safety a priority when it 

comes to school buses. “Safety is a choice, not a 

chance,” he said. “We do our best to be safe at 

all times.” 

Gray is the Clinton Public School District’s 

new director of transportation, replacing Terry 

Harris who recently retired. Prior to this role, he 

worked at UPS for 37 years and more recently 

was transportation director at the Mississippi 

Department of Education. 

“Kids are our most precious commodity,” he 

said. “I pray every day that each child will be 

picked up and returned safely. I emphasize 

safety in all I do.” 

As transportation director, Gray oversees a 

fleet of nearly 75 buses and route management 

for more than 3,500 students who ride the bus 

daily. “We have 132 square miles in our school 

district,” he said. “We transport students in three 

tiers – elementary, middle and high school. 

Bus driver Jimmy Creel enjoys greeting the 

children as they board the bus. “He greets the 

children with a ‘Good Morning!’ and if they 

don’t respond he repeats himself, making sure 

to get an answer from each child,” said parent 

Cynthia Senior. “He goes above and beyond his 

job description. I’d imagine being a bus driver is 

a challenging task, but he handles it with pride 

and confidence and he’s a pure blessing to all 

he encounters.” 

Creel is the recipient of the Clinton Public 

School District’s Dedication of Our Valued 

Employees, or DOVE, customer service award 

for the month of September. He was recognized 

at the school board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9. 

“He looks out for all the children and always 

is in a good mood and has a smile and tells the 

kids to have a good day,” said parent Paula 

Arrington, in nominating Creel for the award. 

Every day we run about 50 buses on 80 routes, 

all between 6-8:15 a.m. in the mornings.” 

This summer Gray and his staff made sure 

that all regular route buses had air conditioning. 

He is also overseeing a fleet upgrade to replace 

older, outdated buses with newer models. “The 

average lifespan of a school bus is 10-15 years,” 

he said. “We have good mechanics on staff and 

we can get 15 good years from our buses, but we 

want to provide quality.” 

Gray encourages all motorists to respect 

buses and loading/drop-off areas. “When you 

see the bus stop arm extended, it’s the law that 

you have to stop,” he said. “Most school 

bus-related deaths occur outside the bus, and 

we need to make sure that everyone is aware of 

the law and follows the law.” 

For bus route information, text alert 

subscription information and more, visit the 

CPSD Transportation Department website. 

“He goes out of his way to be polite to parents 

and children.” 

Parent Amanda Carpenter said her children 

have been riding Mr. Jimmy’s bus for seven 

years. “For so many years, Mr. Jimmy has been 

nothing but kind and respectful of parents and 

students,” she said. “He is the same on the bus 

as he is in Kroger. He truly cares. I am honored 

to have my kids go to the best school district 

imaginable. Mr. Jimmy sets the bar very high for 

all other bus drivers everywhere.” 

The DOVE Award is given each month during 

the school year to an employee who goes above 

and beyond in showing customer service to 

students, parents and the community. A 

five-member DOVE award selection committee 

chooses each winner from a pool of nominations. 

Anyone can nominate a CPSD employee 

via the online form on 

www.clintonpublicschools.com. 




Eastside 

Clinton’s fourth- and fifth-grade school, 

Eastside Elementary, is a 2018 National Blue 

Ribbon School. Eastside is one of 349 schools 

nationwide to receive this recognition from 

the U.S. Department of Education. Eastside’s 

award is for an “Exemplary High Performing 

School.” 

“I am thrilled that Eastside will join only 

two other schools from Mississippi as being 

designated as Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018,” 

said Dr. Tim Martin, superintendent of schools.” 

This is the result of a lot of hard work from the 

faculty and staff, tremendous support from 

parents and the community, outstanding 

leadership from (Principal) Cindy Hamil and 

(Assistant Principal) Brittany Ricker, and of 

course, to our wonderful students who 

perform so well. We also want to congratulate 

the teachers of Northside and Clinton Park 

Elementary in preparing these students so 

well in grades K-3 before coming to Eastside.” 

“The faculty and staff at Eastside are 

honored to have been named a National Blue 

Ribbon School,” said Eastside Principal Cindy 

Hamil. “We pride ourselves in upholding the 

district’s legacy of excellence.” 

In recent test score data, Eastside fourthgraders 

showed staggering increases on state 

tests in English Language Arts, growing from 

48.8 percent proficiency in 2016 to 78.2 

percent in 2017. Fourth-graders also jumped 

from 67.9 percent proficiency in math in 2016 

to 83 percent in 2017. 

Eastside is currently rated A, the highest 

possible academic rating a Mississippi school 

can attain, and is expected to maintain this 

high rating when 2017 ratings are approved 

by the Mississippi State Board of Education. 

The coveted Blue Ribbon award affirms the 

hard work of educators, families and communities 

in creating safe and welcoming schools 

where students master challenging and 

engaging content. Now in its 36th year, the 

National Blue Ribbon Schools program has 

recognized more than 8,500 schools. Two 

other Clinton schools have earned this honor, 

Clinton High School in 1982 and Lovett 

Elementary School in 2013. 

Hamil cited Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote 

“Nothing great was ever achieved without 

enthusiasm,” as inspiration at her school. 

“Being enthusiastic every day has afforded 

us the positive teaching and learning 

environment we strive to achieve,” she said. 

“Our students are excited to come to school 

and have proven year after year that this 

enthusiasm pushes them to accomplish more 

than they could ever imagine.” 

Blue Ribbon recipients were honored at 

the annual awards ceremony on November 7 

and 8 in Washington, D.C. 


Youth Leadership 

The Clinton Chamber of Commerce has announced the Clinton 

Chamber Youth Leadership Program participants for the 2018-19 

academic year. Over 30 students from three area schools will take part in 

this year’s CCYL program and are all juniors or seniors in high school. 

CCYL students will join in various community volunteer activities and 

attend educational sessions throughout the year to hone their leadership 

skills and prepare them for the business world. 

The speaker at September’s meeting was Becky Russell, CEO of 

Russell Media Consultants. The focus of the session was “Image and the 

Media,” as the concept of a personal brand was discussed with the 

students to give them some awareness of the do’s and don’ts of their online 

presence in an increasingly global, connected world. Each month, a new 

topic will be covered in a similar fashion. October was “Resumes, 

Applications, and Interviews”, November is “Politics and Civic Duty.” 

This year’s participants are: Eboni Anderson, Clinton High; Valeria 

Brown, CCA; Taylor Byrd, Clinton High; Kayden Chistov, Clinton High; Ryan 

Fields, CCA; Hannah Flickinger, Clinton High; Verlecia Gavin, Clinton High; 

Macey Greco, Clinton High; Natalie Hampton, Clinton High; Chairwoman 

Nehemiah Hicks, Clinton High; Vice Chairman Madison Johnson, Clinton 

High; Michayla Johnson, Clinton High; Taylor Jones, CCA; Secretary Ashley 

Kamryn Jones, Clinton High; Ryan Lacy, Clinton High; Corey Lewis, Clinton 

High; Maggie Lott, Clinton High; Anna Catherine Markham, CCA; Madeline 

McElroy, Clinton High; Allyson McGowan, Clinton High; Maria Miller, 

Clinton High; Abby Newell, Clinton High; Shiven Patel, CCA; Kaylei 

Peterson, Clinton High; Gracie Phillips, Clinton High; Rushali Shah, Clinton 

High; Historian Jayanti Shukla, Clinton High; Molly Spencer, St. Andrew’s 

Episcopal; Malorie Steen, Clinton High; Maya Stocks, Clinton High; Regina 

Yen, Clinton High; Victor Yen, Clinton High; Kevin Zhang, Clinton High. 




Teacher of the Month 

Congratulations to Mrs. Julie Roberts at CHS, 

the Tech Teacher of the Month of September! 

Mrs. Roberts used Pages to collaboratively 

create a Spanish 1 textbook for her students to 

use in class. Teacher-created textbooks give 

students the most relevant information. Mrs. 

Roberts collaborated with other teachers and 

district instructional technologists for this 

project. Great job and keep up the good work! 

L-R: Instructional Technologists Jesse Emling, 

Erin Barrios, Mrs. Julie Roberts and Reeta Hall. 

CHS Automotive Program 

Recognized by MDE 

Clinton High School’s automotive technology 

program is one of several, statewide, 

highlighted by the Mississippi Department of 

Education. Mississippi is one of only 17 states 

that require high school automotive technology 

programs to be accredited by the National 

Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, 

or NATEF. This organization oversees the 

accreditation process, which includes an 

extensive evaluation of each program’s 

facilities, standards, instructors and administration. 

“We have been NATEF certified for 15 

years,” said Charlie Melton, instructor at the 

CHS Career Complex. “Our automotive 

program has always been at the top of other 

schools in Mississippi. The level of instruction 

the students get in Clinton is some of the best in 

the state.” 

The MDE issued a press release highlighting 

expansions among nationally accredited 

automotive programs, and listed Clinton as one 

of 41 high schools statewide with this accreditation. 

“The automotive technology field has 

become increasingly complex over the past 

decade, and high school programs have had to 

develop their staff, equipment and curriculum 

in order to teach the advanced technologies 

this profession requires,” said Wendy Clemons, 

executive director of secondary education at 

the MDE. 

Melton said some of his current and former 

students work at Empire Trucks, 

Gray-Daniels in Jackson and Brandon, the 

Mercedes and BMW dealerships in Jackson, and 

Honda in Jackson. “This does not include the 

ones working in other states in the field, or who 

are attending automotive schools,” he said. 

Clemons said automotive industry contacts 

report that nationally certified programs “will 

better train students for the automotive 

industry and make the industries more willing 

to invest in the certified programs. These 

investments can range from more training for 

instructors to equipment donations for the 

automotive technology labs,” she said. 


National Merit Semifinalist 

He scored perfect on the ACT, twice. Now, Clinton 

High School senior Clark Hensley has been named a 

National Merit Semifinalist. This designation comes 

from high scores on the PSAT as a junior, and Clark is 

now eligible to become a National Merit Finalist in 

the spring. 

“The process of selecting National Merit students 

is a very rigorous one and only the top students 

nationwide are chosen,” said CHS Principal Brett 

Robinson. 

Clark isn’t sure where he wants to go to college 

but he has started applying to different programs. 

He plans to pursue a career in engineering or 

computer science. 

“My parents were very excited but not particularly 

surprised” about his ACT score and National Merit 

designation, he said. To prepare for the ACT, he 

participated in the Humanities program at CHS 

and did readings and reviews on his own. 

To advance to the finalist level, National Merit 

semifinalists must present a record of high academic 

performance throughout high school, be endorsed 

and recommended by their high school principal, 

write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm 

their PSAT performance. From the approximately 

16,000 semifinalists nationwide, about 15,000 are 

expected to advance to the finalist level. Scholarship 

winners are selected from this group of finalists. 

“We are very proud of Clark,” said Dr. Tim Martin, 

superintendent of schools. “This designation speaks 

well of him and his family, and the entire Clinton 

community.” 

STEM 

Great things are happening in 7th Grade STEM! 

Students have been working on “The Blinking 

Message” project. Using pair programming, 

students designed, coded, and programmed a 

message and an animation to be displayed on 

the microbit. Students then were asked to 

evaluate one another’s programming and code. 

Perfect ACT Score 

Clinton High School junior Kevin Zhang did the 

happy dance when he found out he scored perfect 

on the ACT. He took the test in June, and was 

checking for scores at midnight on the day they 

were released. 

“I just started jumping around,” he said. His 

parents “were really surprised. They didn’t think 

I would make perfect.” 

The American College Test is a curriculum and 

standards based tool that assesses students’ 

academic readiness for college. Students can take 

it multiple times, and it is administered to all 

Mississippi students in 11th grade. 

Kevin has not decided where he wants to go to 

college, but he has time to decide. He’s considering 

a career in computer science or a related field. 

“I sincerely thank the principals and teachers from 

Clinton High School for their high quality teaching 

and instruction,” said Kevin’s father, Ping Zhang. 

“They have taught Kevin not only new knowledge 

but also the way to learn new knowledge from the 

Internet, namely life-long learning skills. “As parents, 

we appreciate all the teachers’ efforts and 

contributions.” 

There are currently two students at Clinton High 

School with perfect scores on the ACT, Kevin and 

CHS senior Clark Hensley, but multiple other 

Clinton students have aced the test in recent years. 

“At CHS we work hard to prepare students to do 

well on the ACT because it can open a lot of doors 

for higher education,” said Principal Brett Robinson. 

“This equals free tuition at some schools and a lot of 

scholarship offers from others. Scoring well on the 

ACT can have real, tangible benefits for students.” 




Sumner Hill 

Sumner Hill is proud of 19 students who have demonstrated Patience. 

They will receive Chick-fil-A lunch courtesy of Chick-fil-A in Clinton. 

Row 1: Taylor Wiley, Abby Edwards, Megan Campbell, Madyson Williams, 

Quintinesha Rhodes - Row 2: Amini Wilson, Dinkaria Williams, Tamia 

Evans, Zoe Damessous, Nikyah Wallace - Row 3: Michael Blair, Larry 

Funchess, Aiden Johnson, Joseph Hall - Row 4: Jared Miller, Will Roberts, 

Dylan Havemann, Cole Bishop - Not Pictured: Caleb Swann 

Sumner Hill honored 22 students who demonstrated Orderliness. 

These students will receive a Chic-fil-A lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A 

in Clinton. 

Row 1: Katelyn Coleman, Kayley Kupeitz, Alexis Burgess, Asthma Abbas, 

Isaiah Taylor - Row 2: Cailyn Clark, Myla Toaster, Jadakiss Torrey, 

Alexis Hill - Row 3: Katherine Knupp, Jet Daniel, Patience Owens, Alexis 

Young, Jason Jones - Row 4: Madeline Manuel, Kelvin Woodriff, Najmah 

Muhammed, Dylan Havemann - Not Pictured: Kenijha Flowers, Nathan 

Heard, Kyla Johnson, and Gracie Roberts 

Sumner Hill Junior High School would like to thank Teresa Mosley for 

donating yellow ribbons for our teachers and students to wear during 

Suicide Awareness Week. 

L-R: Principal Christie Claxton, Teresa Mosley, Counselor Heather Norton 

Junior High Peer Guidance Committee hosted a new student breakfast. 

Front: Jalia Holmes. Back: Mallory Morris, Kate Brunson, Najmah 

Muhammad, Sherry Lin, Cameron Lewis, Madeline Manuel 


Business Challenge 

Ten students in Bradley Pope’s personal finance class at Sumner Hill 

Junior High School are jumping into the virtual business world. These 

students will be competing in CapsimCore, a business simulation that 

puts them in charge of running their own company. The ten students are 

split into two teams, each running their own virtual business. Both teams 

are up against five other groups from various schools. 

Each team is responsible for managing and making all decisions when 

it comes to their company. Both teams will take their company through 

four stages: 

• Research and development to invent and then revise their product, 

• Marketing to set prices and promotion goals as well as sales forecasting, 

• Production to determine how many units of their product they will 

manufacture, 

• Finances where they will make sure their company has enough 

resources to run for a year. 

The students will be competing for eight weeks, going through eight 

years’ worth of financial decisions for their companies. Each week the 

students will work together in their teams to assess where their business is 

and how they can improve it. By Friday, all their decisions for the businesses 

will be submitted and each team will see where they stand in the market. 

These two teams are the first to compete from Clinton, but are excited 

and ready. “I think we’ll be able to continue moving up our position and 

we’ll do well,” said Haley Hathaway, while working with her team in a 

training session. “We’ll help each other.” 

Many of the students are looking at this competition as a lens for the 

future, taking note if they like making these decisions and projecting that 

onto potential college decisions. Pope is excited for his students to go 

through this competition, he feels that the students on both teams hold 

a strong enough interest in finances, showed a good business savvy, and 

are capable of working on a team well. “They know that these businesses 

are their responsibility, they are making the decisions,” he said. “I said, 

‘Here are your resources, I am a resource, but this is your project’, and 

they have taken it to heart.” 

The teams at Sumner Hill are thrilled for the competition, and so is 

Principal Christie Claxton. She is excited for these students, “…not only 

because this is a great experience and they are learning, but because they 

are able to network and meet people outside of Clinton, and Mississippi 

and extend their reach.” 

Pope would love to see this competition expand further throughout 

the state and really get kids excited about learning and preparing 

themselves for a financially responsible future. At the end of the eight 

weeks, each team will make a professional presentation to the board of 

directors via video call, where they will defend their decisions and exhibit 

their thought process. 

“It is this type of thing that prepares students for their futures, and 

I am excited to be a part of it,” he said. 


The 

Time 

COIN 

Camille Anding 

The air wreaked of a 

noxious odor as the foul 

creatures slinked into the 

dimly lit room. 

“You know why I’ve called this 

meeting,” Maelstrom bellowed as he 

shouted for everyone’s attention. 

“That season is rapidly approaching, 

so I’m checking on everyone’s plans 

and preparations. It’s a prime holiday. 

There are no limits to what we must 

do to rob it of its joy and celebration. 

Who wants to be first?” 

“I’ll go,” Busyness boomed from the 

corner. “The calendar is our #1 asset, 

and I’m prepared to fill every waking 

moment with parties, banquets, Sunday 

School socials, cantatas, musicals, movies, 

nativity scenes – everything that people 

who believe and don’t believe in the 

Christmas season will want to schedule. 

It’s too good to be true; we just help 

them cram their calendars with all those 

things they call good, and in a smoking 

streak the month will be gone, and they 

will have been too busy to actually enjoy 

any of it!” Busyness smirked with pride. 

“That’s not enough,” another voice 

squealed. All eyes turned to Chaos who 

straightened from his slumping posture. 

“I’ve got my crew assigned to the traffic 

and crowds. Both will be everywhere! 

Stress, we haven’t heard from you, 

but I know how you’ll have the shoppers 

in a panic mode, searching to fill their 

Christmas gift list. We add that to the 

chaos of traffic jams and long lines and 

WHAM! It’s the perfect storm and a 

snuffing out of the Christmas spirit. 

Shrieks filled the room as the sinister 

set announced their plans. “Don’t forget 

me,” Nostalgia whispered. The room 

quickly turned to his cloaked figure. 

“It may be a joyful season for some, 

but many struggle with the heaviness 

that Loneliness brings and his reminders 

of past Christmases. It’s the easiest of 

times to shroud the lonely and the sad 

with memories.” 

Greed interrupted Maelstrom just 

before he adjourned. “I’ll do what I can. 

A lot of the celebrators get generous 

with their benevolent giving, but it’s 

also a prime time for Selfishness to 

exploit shoppers. 

“Good plans! Now go to work,” 

Maelstrom roared as the conniving 

crew exited to inflict their tactics. 

“What’s that music I hear?” 

Maelstrom halted in alarm. “Why – 

I think it’s ‘Silent Night,’ one of those 

Christmas carols the celebrators sing,” 

Chaos answered. 

“Yes, that’s it, and look who’s leading it 

– PEACE! Hurry, we’re all doomed if 

He gets to the people first.” ● 


247 Industrial Drive North Madison, Mississippi 39110 

601-853-7300 1-800-844-7301 

www.hederman.com

Clinton1118web

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