July 31, 2010

Benefit for Community Market

Hello Downtown Merchants and Friends of Downtown,

If any of you made it down to the Community Market on S. Lafayette St. last summer, I know you enjoyed the fresh locally-grown produce, homemade breads and cakes, art by local artists, and great fellowship! The Market will kick off in May with new hours: 8:00am-Noon.

There is a Market Fundraising Bash at Barrister’s (above Restaurant Tyler) this Friday evening from 6-9pm.

There will be door prizes given away throughout the event, and the Market organizers are in need of door prize donations. If you would like to donate a door prize (or make a donation as a sponsor) and have your business recognized, please contact me or Jeremiah Dumas atjdumas@gri.msstate.edu.

I hope to see you this Friday night!

Melissa Dixon
Blufish Design Studio
112 S. Lafayette St.
Starkville, MS 39759

office 662.324.0290
fax 662.324.0490
blufishdesign.com

Columbus beats Starkville

From a reader last night (cut and pasted):

Here is a blog topic for u tomorrow: Why is jasmine now saying she is from columbus? Is it because she thinks columbus sounds better than starkville? I have people over tonight to watch and vote for her. We are all unpleased with the change and probably not voting for her. I know I will not be!!!!!

The Curious Case of Parker Wiseman

Last week, we published a poll on the most qualified candidate (so far) for the Mayor’s spot. All three of the Democratic candidates were represented. The poll ran for a week from February 13, 2009 @ 9:30 am to February 20, 2009 @ 9:30 am. A total of 351 votes were cast during that time.

The results:

Parker Wiseman 251 votes
Matt Cox 83 votes
Dan Camp 17 votes

You would think that the Wiseman camp, which seems to have the social network edge, was able to rally a “vote here” campaign.

But the server logs for Starkvile-Now.com don’t indicate an unusual spike in traffic.

Very curious.

The poll is designed for a one computer, one vote approach but that can be worked around. But the there isn’t a logged IP addresses that shows up more than once.

Very, very curious.

This wasn’t a scientific poll by any long shot.

But it could indicate something- there is stronger support for Wiseman that initially thought.

Mike Allen enters Ward 5 race

Mike Allen enters the fray in the Ward 5 race on the Republican side. (Editor’s note: Allen is brother-in-law to SN editor Robbie Coblentz)

Mike’s platform is located at his website www.mikeallen.com.

The question still looms: where are all the local Republicans in this election?

Live from Cox presser

12:06 Roughly 50 phones gathered at Hilton to hear Cox speak.

12:07 Opening remarks from Cox.

Shots fired: “Mayor is fulltime job.”
“Not a stepping stone to higher office.”

FYI Perkins, McClarin and Davis in attendance. Former alderman Vic Zitta here as well. Perhaps looking for his “better road plan.”

12:11 Economic Development and job creation/retention are common themes.

12:12 Work across the triangle in team effort.

12:13 Develop megasite and finish Cornerstone

12:15 Quality of life: smoking ban, recreation, LEED certified SED building.

12:17 Curbside recycling and sidewalks across town.

12:18 Bring people together not divide. Call out to Perkins as vice mayor. Pledges to keep him as vice mayor.

12:18 Infrastructure: roads, water, sewer

12:19 End. Nice speech with go team approach.

Cox to announce platform Tuesday noon at Hilton

And yes, he does say “can-do spirit” in this release….

Matt Cox for Mayor
Starkville, Mississippi
info@mattcoxformayor.com

For immediate release:

Cox to share bold vision for Starkville during Tuesday speech

STARKVILLE – Mayoral candidate Matt Cox will deliver a major speech at noon Tuesday [Feb. 24] at the community’s newest business to explain how Starkville can move closer to becoming the best small town in America.

The Democratic candidate will outline his platform for mayor at the Hilton Garden Inn, 975 Highway 12 East. His pro-business, community-minded approach to responsive government includes creating a better environment for job growth, quality of life and planning for the city’s future.

As a businessman, chairman of the Board of Alderman’s budget committee and community leader, Cox’s experience and knowledge of the community makes him the best leader to guide the city during the next four years.

Cox said business growth in the city such as the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn and the proposed Cotton Mills development point to Starkville’s bright future even during tough national and state economic forecasts.

“Starkville needs a mayor who can work with local, regional and national business and government leaders to keep jobs and a high quality of life in our city,” said Cox, who serves at Ward 5 alderman. “Starkville’s can-do spirit and community assets are key parts of making it a model community.”

Starkville’s Democratic primary will be May 5.

For more information about Cox’s campaign for mayor, visit www.MattCoxforMayor.com.
-30-

Cotton Mills update

Seems the projected cost of the project has gone over $200 million and is on track for a March groundbreaking.

The Dispatch story profiles the update given to IHL Wednesday about the project.

Community Forum: Making our neighborhood safer and better

Making Our Neighborhood Safer and Better

Our community  continues to develop and grow as we move into the 21st century. What have we gained, and what has been lost? How do we maintain a sense of community and make our neighborhoods safe and livable?

Thursday, February 19 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Bost Extension Building B Auditorium, MSU Campus

The Forum: Oktibbeha County Leadership Development Class of 2008-2009 (http://msucares.com/forum) invites you to participate in a Community Discussion focusing on issues of public safety: what are the problems and how can the community, the schools, families, and individuals work together to solve them.

We will sit at tables of ten. Our emcee will ask a series of questions to the room and the participants at each table discuss the topic amongst themselves. This is your chance to be heard, or raise your own questions and concerns. There will be four rounds of questions, followed by an open discussion. A scribe at each table will take notes of the general discussion, but your anonymity as a participant will be protected. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served throughout the evening.

The data gathered will be summarized in a report and made available to all candidates running for local offices, civic leaders, educational leaders, public safety officials and the general public.

Our Leadership Class of 2008-2009 will use the information gained from this Community Discussion to help us establish projects that will impact our community and make it a better,  safer place for all of its citizens.

This forum is limited to adults over the age of 18. Depending on the interest and results, a separate session may be held for the youth of the community.

If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to the Southern Rural Development Center at 325-3207 or by e-mail to alanb@srdc.msstate.edu. This will enable us to get a count for refreshments and to have name tags made before the event.

The ECHO Performing Arts Festival 2009

Yoknapatawpha Arts Council & Yocona International Folk Festival

Present

The ECHO Performing Arts Festival 2009

The Way to the Heart:
Changing Food, Foodways and Culture

The ECHO Performing Arts Festival 2009
features Native and non-Native artists representing the cultures of Alaska, Hawai`i, Mississippi and Massachusetts.

Under the direction of Tau Dance Theater of Honolulu, Hawai`i, the artists have created a performance piece infused with the oral tradition, dance and music of all of their regions.

The Way to the Heart: Changing Food, Foodways and Culture honors the
traditional and contemporary uses of food as they relate to survival,
community building, culture, and comfort, and the effects that changes have had on people’s lives

2 FREE PERFORMANCES
THURSDAY, FEBRAURY 26, 2009
3:30PM & 6:00 PM

3:30 pm program special student performance

Reserved seats for students & community groups
To reserve seats contact:

Powerhouse Community Arts Center
413 South 14th Street
(University at S.14th behind Newk’s)
Phone 662-236-6429
yacoperations@gmail.com
www.oxfordarts.com
www.echospace.org

UPDATED: 5 years later, a megasite starts (hopefully)

One the things that our neighbors to the east did so effectively was to put together not 1, but 2 megasites to market for industrial recruitment. That helped lead to the cluster of growth around the airport.

In the meantime, we sat around doing pretty much nothing.

New GSDP CEO Jon “iPhone” Maynard has begun the process to put together a 1700 acre site east of town in Hickory Grove.

Well done. It’s about time.

It’s a great tract of land. It’s actually closer to HWY 45A than the two Lowndes sites.

But the certification process involves many things and takes a while. Some things have to happen to get the piece ready.

But progress has begun.

UPDATE: The Dispatch weighs in. They speculate that it could be sufficient for an automotive plant.