Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011 by Greenwood Commonwealth

Greenwood, Mississippi

A River Country Journal / Spring 2011

table of contents

people 5.

A reluctant Henry Carpenter became the local actor with the biggest role in The Help

Caleb Cox is an aspiring chef, but don’t ask for the recipe of his special barbecue sauce

23.

Dr. Rusty Douglas is considered among the best at giving a eulogy

36.

Equen Rhodes has made a name for himself as a portrait artist

44.

Insects don’t bug “Mosquito Man” Lewis Hodges

places

features

4. 25. 47.

From the editor Calendar of events Index to advertisers

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19.

Greenwood was home to pro baseball off and on for 42 years

32.

Work of local advertising executives can be seen on memorial markers all over the nation

42.

Arts for Success members enjoy learning and teaching

48.

Industrial Board has been at the forefront of advancing business in Leflore County

13.

Leflore County has plenty of Civil War sites — if you know where to look

28.

The Malouf House creates comfortable and cozy atmosphere

ON THE COVER: Caleb Cox, a 14-year-old aspiring chef and J.Z. George High School student, prepared this feast, which included barbecued chicken basted in his secret sauce, grilled asparagus, baked beans and sweet iced tea. Photo by Johnny Jennings.

eflore

Illustrated

Editor and Publisher Tim Kalich

Managing Editor Charles Corder

Associate Editor David Monroe

Contributing Writers

Bill Burrus, Bob Darden, Jo Alice Darden, Andrea Hall, Ruth Jensen, Charlie Smith

Advertising Director Larry Alderman

Advertising Sales

Linda Bassie, Susan Montgomery, Ronnie Sanders, Jim Stallings, Kim Turner

Photography/Graphics Joseph Cotton, Johnny Jennings, Anne Miles

Production

Clifton Angel and Charles Brownlee

Circulation Director Shirley Cooper

Volume 6, No. 3 —————— Editorial and business offices: P.O. Box 8050 329 U.S. 82 West Greenwood, MS 38935-8050 662-453-5312 —————— Leflore Illustrated is published by Commonwealth Publishing, Inc.

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From the editor

PHOTO BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

Sweet Southern tradition M

ississippi, according to the experts, struggles with its collective waistline more than any other state because of our poor diet. We eat too much fried chicken, too much fast and processed food, too few fruits and vegetables. If you ask me what puts on the pounds, it comes down to one word: dessert. For the past several years, I have given up dessert and other sweets for Lent. It’s six and a half weeks without hot fudge pie, lemon ice box pie, homemade brownies, vanilla ice cream and the like. Without even trying, I lose five to 10 pounds, causing my family to worry whether I’ve caught a parasite. It’s more like withdrawal. I blame my wife, Betty Gail, and my move to Mississippi for this addiction. In the Midwestern home where I grew up, desserts were usually reserved for special occasions — birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other large family get-togethers. My grandmother, who lived with us, would occasionally treat me to a lunch consisting of warm cake straight out of the oven and a cold glass of milk. It didn’t exactly follow the food pyramid, but orthodoxy at mealtime wasn’t our family’s strong suit. Betty Gail, though, was raised on balanced meals that unfailingly ended with a sweet, even if it was just a Twinkie. She’s passed on that habit to me. I believe it’s a Southern thing. I noticed in Martha Foose’s wonderful new cookbook, A Southerly Course, that the dessert section took up more pages than any of the other four. I asked her why. “When you give people pie, they like you,” she said. And they’re disappointed when you don’t. Several weeks ago, Betty Gail and I were invited to join for dinner a group that 4 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

was on a Delta literary tour. It was a wonderful meal, complemented by fascinating conversation. Soon after the plates on which the entree had been served were cleared from the tables, the host announced the group’s itinerary for the next day. People started to exit. I looked at my wife. We read each other’s mind. No dessert? A Southerner could not have planned that menu. It was like a concert without an encore. Taylor Ricketts, the talented chef at Greenwood’s Delta Bistro, says that in the South, desserts have acquired a regional identity. “I don’t really know of desserts that originate in other areas as ours have here,” she said. Louisiana has its bread pudding, Georgia its peach cobbler. Mississippi is known for pecan pie and caramel cake. “All over the country, people associate Southern food with comfort food. Dessert goes along with that,” Ricketts said. Ricketts, though herself not a huge fan of sweets, has a soft spot for chocolate. Her hot fudge pie is a sentimental favorite. It

was adapted from a recipe she picked up while working during college at The Hoka, a Bohemian restaurant and movie theater in Oxford that closed in the mid-1990s. I asked Martha Foose the same question: What’s your favorite dessert? She hesitated. “That’s like asking your wife who’s her favorite kindergartner.” Betty Gail is a kindergarten teacher who had Foose’s son, Joe, in her class two years ago. Foose eventually confessed her affinity for banana pudding. She remembers, when she was a schoolgirl, how her classmates excitedly proclaimed the days it appeared on the lunch menu. Whenever she has that dessert still, she said, “it just feels like Banana Pudding Day.” On Easter, I ended my fast from sweets. It won’t take too long before I lose the anorexic look. Betty Gail, though, thinks it’s time to consider a different Lenten sacrifice. “Next year,” she said, “we want you to give up beer.” — Tim Kalich LI

Henry Carpenter

A reluctant star

Henry Carpenter walked out of two auditions for The Help, but on his third try, he was selected to play the role of Jameso. The Greenwood contractor said he almost didn’t take the part because he didn’t think it paid enough.

STORY BY CHARLIE SMITH PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

ong lines almost cost Henry Carpenter his chance at movie stardom.

The affable Greenwood contractor twice left auditions for The Help. But thankfully for Carpenter, he came back a third time to the Leflore

County Civic Center on June 19, 2010. The lines were shorter then. Casting directors were mostly looking for extras from the Greenwood area, who

would be seen in the background but not speak. They found something more in Carpenter. “She said, ‘Umm! You the one we looking for,’” he recalls. “I said, ‘Ma’am?’ She said, ‘You are the one we’re looking for. Pull your hat off.’ So I pulled my hat off. “She said, ‘You’ve got the right head; you’ve got the right everything.’” The 61-year-old ended up being cast as Jameso, a yardman for protagonist Skeeter

Phelan’s family. It’s the most prominent role any Greenwoodian received in the DreamWorks Studio film. The Help is based on a bestselling Kathryn Stockett novel set in 1960s Jackson. It explores the relationship between a white college graduate and black maids. Crews shot it mostly in Greenwood during the summer and fall of 2010. It’s slated for an Aug. 12 release. Carpenter, 61, acted in about 10 scenes, mostly in the Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 5

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background trimming hedges or doing other domestic work. Makeup artists made him 10 years younger in one scene by dying his hair and moustache. Carpenter has one line, which was what bumped him from an extra to a character and dramatically increased his pay. “The only thing I said was, ‘How you doing, Miss Eugenia?’ And that was it,” Carpenter said. As a named character, Carpenter received “movie star” perks. Everything you wanted to eat or drink “but beer and cigarettes,” he said. And no standing around for 12 hours like extras. Instead, movie makers would call him on his cell phone when they needed him for a scene. He’d show up, shoot for 20 or 30 minutes and head back to his real job as a residential contractor and carpenter. “Some parts that I did, hell, I didn’t even know that I had did ’em,” Carpenter said. “It was all over. They said,

“She said, ‘Umm! You the one we looking for. ... You’ve got the right head; you’ve got the right everything.’” Henry Carpenter

‘Jameso, we through.’ I said, ‘We through already? Damn.’ It’s just amazing to me.” Carpenter never got caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle. He almost didn’t take the role initially because he said the pay wasn’t enough, but he decided after four or five days to accept it. During filming, his mind often drifted back to the carpentry work waiting for him once he got through, he said. Carpenter grew up in Greenwood on Broad Street and has been contracting since about 1983. His only previous acting experience was in school plays, but he said he’s a natural who didn’t require much instruction from the director, Tate Taylor. At his age, Carpenter said he doesn’t have much interest in actively pursuing an acting career. He’d rather enjoy his grandchildren in Greenwood. But he did he enjoy his taste of being a movie star. LI

THE HELP FACTS Here are some facts about the movie version of The Help, which is based on Jackson native Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 best-seller: Premieres in theaters: Aug. 12 Stars: Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Mike Vogel, Jessica Chastain, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Chris Lowell and Cicely Tyson Filming locations: Greenwood, Leflore County, Carroll County, Clarksdale and Jackson

Director and screenwriter: Tate Women (1994), The Shawshank Taylor. Redemption (1994), Unstrung Heroes (1996), American Beauty (1999), Road Producers: Include Tate Taylor, to Perdition (2002), Finding Nemo Brunson Green, Sonya Lunsford (2003), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of and Chris Columbus Unfortunate Events (2004), The Good Music: Thomas Newman, who German (2006) and WALL-E. has been nominated for an Cinematographer: Stephen Academy Award 10 times. He won Goldblatt, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song along with an Academy Award for Peter Gabriel for “Down to Earth” Cinematography for Batman Forever from WALL-E (2008). He’s been (1995). nominated for Best Score nine times but has yet to win. His Oscarnominated scores include Little

Studio: DreamWorks Studios Distributor: Walt Disney Co. Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 7

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Caleb Cox

Barbecue prodigy STORY BY ANDREA HALL PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

rowing up, Caleb Cox preferred watching cooking shows to cartoons.

Caleb Cox has always enjoyed cooking, but he started doing more grilling and barbecuing after family friends, Marshall and Gale Myers, invited him to be on their barbecue team, Up in Smoke, in spring of 2010.

But it wasn’t just that he could follow a recipe. His time in front of the tube and at the counter with his grandmother taught him about being creative in the kitchen. “You don’t always have all the ingredients, or you forget to get one at the store,” Caleb said. “Sometimes, I just go into the kitchen and grab anything and start mixing.” That has proven to be a good skill for the aspiring chef, who already has created his first signature condiment — barbecue sauce — by accident. It started when he was 9 and was finishing some grilled chicken. When he reached into his box of ingredients, he discovered he had forgotten one major thing for barbecue — the sauce. No big deal, except he wasn’t making dinner for family and friends. The Carrollton youth was participating in an out-of-town cooking competition through 4-H, so he couldn’t just run to the store. Caleb, 14, has been cooking since he was about 5 years old, so he said it felt natural for him to participate in the cooking competitions after joining the youth organization. “It was my first year, and I didn’t know how it worked. You have to do everything yourself,” he said. “I thought I had packed everything.” What he found in his box of ingredients from home instead was a bunch of marinades and spices. “I just started mixing some of the different sauces together and adding the spices I had,” Caleb said.”Then I basted the chicken with it.” Caleb was a little disheartened, but it was his first cooking competition. “When I didn’t have the sauce, I thought it Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 9

was over,” he said. “I was ready to go home.” He did go home — but not emptyhanded. Out of about 20 participants in his age category at the competition held in Coffeeville, he won first place. That competition was five years ago. Since then, he has been perfecting his own barbecue sauce. “When I got home, I started playing with some different ingredients,” he said. “And I gave the marinade a barbecue sauce base.” He worked on the recipe until he was almost 11 and even packaged some in leftover bottles he found around the house. But then he let the project sit for almost a year. In December 2009, his sister’s class had a bake sale during the annual Christmas parade. He decided to donate some bottles of his sauce. He sold 10 bottles. “I thought people bought it to donate to the cause,” he said. “Then I started getting feedback, and everyone liked it.” So he decided to order some actual bot-

tles and had labels made up for “Skinny’s Specialty Sauce.” “I was just giving them away, and that’s how it all started,” Caleb said. “Word travels fast in Carrollton; you do something and everyone knows about (it).” The owner of Dixie’s Kozy Kitchen asked if she could have 20 bottles of barbecue sauce. “They lasted about six hours,” Caleb said. He had taken the bottles the night before, after the restaurant had closed. By the time his family came for dinner the next night, the bottles were all gone. His sauce business is a small operation. Caleb, who is the only one who knows the recipe, makes and bottles the concoction in his family’s kitchen after everyone else goes to bed. A freshman at J.Z. George High School in North Carrollton, Caleb makes school his priority. But his love of cooking also takes up a lot of his time. He began cooking for family friends Marshall and Gale Meyers, who host horse shows. They needed someone to do concessions, and Caleb was excited for

another chance to practice his cooking skills. “It was just hamburgers and hot dogs and food like that, but I was doing it for fun and to get experience in a nice, big kitchen,” he said. Last year, while Caleb was cooking during a show, the Meyerses were talking about Greenwood hosting a barbecue competition. “Marshall asked if I would like to cook with them,” Caleb said. Caleb agreed, and the team Up in Smoke was formed. “We never practiced beforehand, just jumped right in,” Caleb said. They found some local sponsors, obtained a grill from Randy Henderson of Greenwood and set up shop at Main Street Greenwood’s Que on the Yazoo. The team entered the People’s Choice and Anything Butt competitions, and they also made chicken thighs — basting them in Caleb’s homemade barbecue sauce. “We were just doing it for fun,” said Caleb.

When Caleb Cox was participating in a cooking competition through 4-H, he found that he had forgotten his barbecue sauce. He made a mixture that helped him get first place in his division. So he went home and started tweaking the sauce until he came up with the recipe for Skinny’s Specialty BBQ sauce, which he bottles and sells. Caleb is the only one who knows the recipe. 10 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

For Caleb Cox, eating isn’t just about the food. He loves entertaining family and friends. Getting ready to enjoy a cookout with Caleb, complete with barbecued chicken, grilled asparagus, baked beans and sweet iced tea, are, from left, Caleb’s grandparents Billy and Sara Cox and his parents Denise and Wayne Cox.

Just as in the 4-H competition, luck had followed Caleb to Greenwood. The team won first place for the Anything Butt category. “People keep telling us, ‘Y’all have to keep on going,’” Caleb said. “I agreed.” They did. Up in Smoke participated in the Ruleville Roast, finishing in ninth place overall and as high as fifth in one division. Now the team does catering. “Sometimes I come home from school, finish my schoolwork and then get right to cooking,” he said. “It’s not just a hobby; cooking is a passion.” Caleb wants to attend Mississippi Delta Community College and participate in its two-year culinary program before going to cooking school. He would like to own a hotel and be the chef of its restaurant. Caleb said every child should participate in 4-H. He had started with that organization to participate in shooting

“Sometimes I come home from school, finish my schoolwork and then get right to cooking. It’s not just a hobby; cooking is a passion.” Caleb Cox

sports, but he quickly learned the program is more than sports and farming. “I used to be shy, but I had to speak in front of more than 300 people for some of these competitions,” he said. Participants have to answer questions while cooking, such as to what temperature poultry should be cooked. “That helps you in school, doing presentations and just talking to people in the hallways,” he said. Caleb likes that 4-H is a very social organization, and he learns skills he can use every day. “I knew I could cook but not like I did at that competition,” he said. “Every kid has wandered around a kitchen, but 4-H helps you find your talent.” He also enjoys the camaraderie of cooking for friends and family. Now, Caleb says he has never met a dish he can’t make — whether he has the recipe or not. LI Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 11

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The Civil War

History close to home County has much to offer Civil War buffs — if you know where to look STORY BY CHARLIE SMITH PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS AND CHARLIE SMITH

enry McCabe is the go-to man when it comes to Greenwood’s Civil War history.

Henry McCabe possesses a wealth of Civil War weaponry, books and documents, which he keeps in a special room inside his North Greenwood home. Buddy, his Siamese cat, “guards” a boxed display of memorabilia.

The retired tire store manager possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the people and places involved in local battles and shares it in his own colorful style. McCabe’s passion is lifelong, but popular interest in the War between the States has been growing for years, he said. It’s expected to get even bigger during the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, which is being commemorated from 2011 to 2015. So what’s Leflore County have to offer visiting history buffs? Terry Winschel, historian at Vicksburg National Military Park, said it may not appear to be much to the untrained eye, but if you know what to look for, there’s a lot here. The target of what some historians claim Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 13

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Point Leflore, where the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha rivers meet to form the Yazoo, is the site of a Civil War fortification.

were the first shots fired in the war — The Star of the West steamship — lies at the bottom of the Tallahatchie River just west of Greenwood. (The vessel can be seen peeking out from the water when the river gets extremely low.) And just across from the sunken boat is Fort Pemberton, the site of the only instance where an enemy land force has defeated the U.S. Navy. Also remaining is a series of fortifications downstream from Fort Pemberton. Some sit in backyards of homes. Others are concealed by woods and located more than a mile from the nearest road. To an observer not accompanied by an expert, they would all appear as little more than slight rises in the flat Delta landscape, possibly abandoned levees. But McCabe, 68, is the one to take you deeper if you want to dig into Greenwood’s rich Civil War history. The Greenwood native has been fascinated since his mother told him stories at the breakfast table as a boy about his great-grandfather’s involvement. A room in his home is dedicated to the Civil War artifacts he’s collected. A wooden piece of The Star of the West as well as a metal piece from the ship (McCabe secured it with a hacksaw during low water) are mounted on a wall. Most of the fortifications are on private property, with the exception of the northeast corner of Fort Pemberton,

A marker at Fort Pemberton Park, located along U.S. 82 just west of Greenwood, commemorates the battle there in 1863.

which is county-owned and sits along heavily traveled U.S. 82. It was the main site of fighting in Greenwood during the winter and spring of 1863. Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was trying to capture Vicksburg to split the Confederacy in half. But he was having trouble going across the flooded Louisiana countryside to reach the back side Grant of the city and devised several different schemes to flank Vicksburg. One of them was called the Yazoo Pass Expedition. U.S. troops blew out a levee below and opposite Helena, Ark., and entered into a tangled bayou known as Yazoo Pass. The plan was to go down the Coldwater River to the Tallahatchie River to the Yazoo River and finally to Vicksburg. However, Confederates made their defense a couple of miles west of Greenwood on a straight section of the Tallahatchie. They built heavily armed Fort Pemberton out of cotton bales obtained from nearby plantations, which were covered in canvas and then dirt, as well as other forts downriver. The Rebels also sank The Star of the West — which they had captured near the beginning of the war — to block the Union flotilla.

LEFLORE COUNTY CIVIL WAR SITES Fort Pemberton: Intense fighting occurred here between Union gunboats and Rebel artillery in spring 1863. A historical marker sits on the northeast corner along U.S. 82 next to the Tallahatchie River. The rest of the fort is on private property south of the highway. The Star of the West: The ship lies buried in mud of the Tallahatchie across from Fort Pemberton. Fortifications: Remains of several fortifications stretch along the Tallahatchie between Fort Pemberton and Point Leflore, where the Yalobusha and Tallahatchie rivers meet to form the Yazoo. The last remnants of Fort Loring, a supply point south of Fort Pemberton on the Yazoo River, were torn down in the past 10 to 15 years. It’s now a field for row crops. Old Greenwood Cemetery: Fifty-two Confederate soldiers from Leflore and Carroll counties were laid to rest at the Strong Avenue cemetery.

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Henry McCabe displays some of the many Civil War bullets he’s collected. The history buff enjoys searching sites around Leflore County with a metal detector.

For decades, this rare Blakely cannon sat at Fort Pemberton. It’s now safe from weather and vandals at Cottonlandia Museum.

When two Union gunboats tried to pass, Confederate troops “pummeled them mercilessly,” Winschel said. “As a result the gunboats had to back away.” After several attempts that involved intense fighting, the Union ships gave up and retreated up river, back to the Mississippi. Grant had to find another way to take Vicksburg. There’s a historical marker at the site, and a rare Blakely cannon, which was possibly involved in the battle, sat there for many years. It is now housed inside Cottonlandia Museum when not being fired by McCabe’s re-enactment group, the 1st Mississippi Light Artillery, Company C. McCabe has tried for years to persuade the National Park Service to establish a branch of the Vicksburg park in Greenwood. A report issued to Congress in 2003 recommended acquiring Fort Pemberton, but no action has been taken, Winschel said. He said the Civil War Trust, a nonprofit devoted to saving endangered Civil War battlefields, has made offers to acquire the rest of Fort Pemberton, which is south of U.S. 82, but without success. The historian said the Vicksburg park expects increased visitation from 2011 to 2015 but added that that will depend on the state of the economy and gas prices. He said they would like to be able to direct visitors up to Greenwood if the preservation proposals could be enacted. “As they say in the movie, Field of Dreams, if you preserve it, they will come,” Winschel said. LI

This grave at the Old Greenwood Cemetery on Strong Avenue honors the memory of one of the 52 Confederates buried there. Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 17

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Pro Baseball

The 1952 Greenwood Dodgers finished in third place in the Cotton States League with a record of 70-56. It was the last season in Greenwood for the Dodgers, who were a Class C affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Members of the team are, front row, from left, batboys Paul Baker and James Quinn; second row, Chuck Lambert, Bob Dolan, Armendo Sanchez, manager Stan Wasiak, Danny McDevitt, John Forizs and Marty Devlin; back row, Mike Witwicki, Bill Crawford, Bob Hoffman, Danny Lynk, Nick Siemasz, Tom Bingham, Don Hines, Karl Spooner and John Tidwell. McDevitt, Spooner and Templeton later played in the major leagues.

A history of hardball

rofessional baseball began with a bang in Greenwood in 1910, became quite popular in the late 1940s with the Greenwood Dodgers and quickly faded out in 1952.

STORY BY BILL BURRUS PHOTOS COURTESY OF DONNY WHITEHEAD

The Greenwood Scouts clinched the pennant on the final day of the 1910 regular season in the then-Class D Cotton States League, and the baseball bug began to spread in Greenwood. In 1940, the Greenwood Choctaws’ season was highlighted by a no-hit game by pitcher Edward “Pat” Malone against Hot Springs as Greenwood finished the season in seventh place. With the coming of World War II, Greenwood went without baseball until 1947, when the town signed a six-year contract to be a Class C farm team for the

Brooklyn Dodgers, according to Greenwood historian Donny Whitehead. “Back then, every town was desperate to have a minor league baseball team, and Greenwood was lucky enough to land the deal with the Dodgers. It was a big deal for the city at that time,” Whitehead said. The Dodgers were an instant success in the revived Cotton States League, winning their division from 1947 to 1949. In 1947, Greenwood tied a league record for wins with 92. In 1948, the Greenwood Dodgers lost to the Hot Springs Bathers in the playoffs in seven games. Labe Dean of Greenwood set a new Cotton States League pitching record with a 1.34 ERA. The Cotton States League’s first allSpring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 19

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Eddie Amelung Sr. played for the Greenwood Chiefs and Crackers Tommy Gregory Sr. was a native of Greenwood. After returning from during the 1930s. After he retired, he stayed in Greenwood, raised World War II, he played outfielder for the Greenwood Dodgers. He a family and worked for Staplcotn. He died in 1975. later founded T.R. Gregory Cotton Co. He died on May 15, 2010.

star game was played in Greenwood at Legion Field, which was built in 1935. It was located off Carrollton Avenue near Odd Fellows Cemetery. Greenwood continued to dominate the Cotton States League in 1949 with its third straight division title as the Dodgers went 84-56 but lost to Pine Bluff in the playoffs. Whitehead estimates the Dodgers drew an average home crowd of about 2,000 during their heyday. “Attendance began to fall off in 1950 when the Dodgers were about a .500 team,” Whitehead said. “Fan interest just seemed to dwindle, so taking the team out of Greenwood two years later was just a business decision.” When professional baseball began in Greenwood in 1910, it lasted three years because the Cotton States League disbanded until 1921 because of World War I. Baseball returned to Greenwood in 1921 with the Indians. After three years, Greenwood was dropped from the Cotton States League until 1934, when in the middle of the second half of the season, the Shreveport team was moved to Greenwood as the Chiefs, a farm team for the St. Louis Cardinals. Greenwood pharmacist Eddie Amelung Jr. has a scrapbook from when

“Attendance began to fall off in 1950 when the Dodgers were about a .500 team. ... so taking the team out of Greenwood two years later was just a business decision.” Donny Whitehead his father, Eddie Sr., played in the mid1930s in Greenwood. Amelung Sr. came to Greenwood in 1935 to play with the Chiefs. After a year,

he was shipped off to play for the Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals. He came back to Greenwood and played until the early 1940s. Amelung then made Greenwood his home for life. “Dad started working for Staplcotn after his playing days and had worked his way up to comptroller when he died of lung cancer in 1975 at the age of 59,” Eddie Jr. said. “He met my mother in Greenwood, and the rest is history.” Based on old Greenwood Commonwealth newspaper articles, Amelung says his father was a good player and a popular one. “He got hit in the cheek with the ball, and it messed his vision up a little. The big league scouts happened to be at that game. That injury probably kept him from advancing to the big leagues,” he explained. “I have articles about the team having Eddie Amelung night, so he was definitely a fan favorite.” His father holds the Cotton States League record for triples in a season with 23 in 1939 while playing for the Greenwood Crackers. “I wish I had been able to learn more about his playing days from him, but my dad got sick when I was 7, so there wasn’t any talk of baseball. He died when I was 15,” Amelung said. “I wish I could go back and learn more.” LI Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 21

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Rusty Douglas

The last words Douglas says learning to give eulogies didn’t come easily STORY BY RUTH JENSEN PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

o hear Dr. Rusty Douglas conduct a funeral service these days, you might think he just naturally has a talent in that area of his ministry. Some people say there’s no one better at giving a eulogy. It’s a skill he has honed from many years of practice and now has down to almost a science. He has even had someone tell him they need to join his church before they die so he can be sure to do their funeral service. Since coming to Greenwood as pastor of First Presbyterian Church 13 years ago, Douglas has conducted funerals for about 85 members of his church and an additional 35 people who weren’t church members. But his skill in writing a funeral service did not come easily. In fact, it took a personal tragedy to bring home just how important those words at a funeral really are for the family of the deceased.

Dr. Rusty Douglas has been pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Greenwood for 13 years. Many people say he is one of the best there is at giving a eulogy. He prefers “personal remarks” to the word “eulogy,” which means “good word.” Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 23

“Early on I didn’t do a icing loved by her grandeulogy per se. In the children and told of her Presbyterian Church the habit of letting the minister primary purpose of the know if the service had funeral service is to bear gone on a bit long by ratwitness to the resurrection tling her keys or snapping of Christ. If that is the purher pocketbook. At the end pose, then you can go too of the funeral, he walked far the other way. So much down to the front and focus on the individual can shook his keys, noting it take away from the was time to come to a conGospel,” Douglas said. clusion. “For a long time, I focused A little bit of humor in a most of the service on the service is not a bad thing, Gospel, fearing that I might he said. not do it justice. My wife “Our Book of Order said what happened is that encourages us to have fun her sister’s child died in a in the sanctuary,” he said. bike accident, and then I “Christians can laugh in the realized that what I say at a face of death. It is not the Dr. Rusty Douglas helps Alice Andrews down the steps of First Presbyterian enemy people think it is. funeral is important to the Church after Sunday service. She and her husband, Thad, are longtime family.” “I get a sense often in the members of the church. In that kind of experimiddle of the service that ence, people have many what the minister is doing is In the service, Douglas plans to do sevconflicting feelings, he explained. eral things — “offer praise to God, whom speaking the power of God into the face “They have questions, huge feelings of we believe is the author of all of life; of death. When people hear that God has anger, confusion, guilt. I realized you the last word, you keep it in perspective.” claim God’s promise of resurrection have to take seriously that it is a particular through his son Jesus Christ; seek comSome people won’t go to a funeral person who has died,” he said. “We want because of the fear of death, he said. “But fort and assurance promised through the to give thanks to God for that particular the primary message of the funeral is: Holy Spirit; and give thanks to God for person’s life.” the life of the individual and give comfort Death is real; life is short; but in the end Since that time, he has come to divide God triumphs. It can also remind us of and support to the family.” the service about half and half between the end of our lives. How should we be He also believes in telling the truth the Gospel and personal remarks. He living if we know there is an end?” about a person, as long as that truth doesdoesn’t use the word “eulogy.” Done well, a funeral service can assist n’t cause pain to others. To prepare the personal remarks, the deceased person’s family and friends “If you don’t tell the truth, then why Douglas spends an hour or more with the should anyone believe what you say in dealing with their grief, and conversely, family. about the resurrection?” he said. “Most of when done badly, it can complicate that “It brings everyone up to speed,” he grief, Douglas said. the time I feel like people who didn’t said. “I start with the basic biography — It’s a little more difficult to conduct know the person will know them after the parents, birth, education, hobbies. funerals for his members than it once the service.” Then I ask, ‘How will you remember this was, he said. “I’ve now been here long Recently, Douglas conducted the person? What kind of values did he or she funeral service for Merrel Johnson, an enough that it hurts me. When I lose teach? How will their friends, their grand- elderly member of his congregation. He some, it’s almost like losing a grandparchildren remember them? How did you ent.” told of her devotion to her family, to see God at work in this person’s life?’” Facing the death of a loved one or Christ and to her church. “In my years This time with the family is of utmost friend is never easy, but Douglas believes here she sat up front for every importance, he said. “I listen very closely he has the answer for that dilemma: “We Communion service. When I looked up, to the family and use a lot of what they take death seriously but not more seriousshe would still be praying,” he said. say.” ly than we take God.” LI He mentioned the chocolate almond

“Some people won’t go to a funeral because of the fear of death. But the primary message of the funeral is: Death is real; life is short; but in the end God triumphs.” Dr. Rusty Douglas 24 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

MAY 5 — Annual GreenwoodLeflore County Chamber of Commerce golf scramble, Greenwood Country Club. 5-7 — The Robert Johnson Centennial Celebration will include an art and history exhibit “Robert Johnson Exposed: The Mystery Brought to Light” at Cottonlandia Museum, a blues experts panel at Tallahatchie Tavern and two concerts at Whittington Park. 7 — Mississippi Valley State University graduation, Robert Harrison Health, Physical Education and Recreation Complex, 10 a.m. 7 — Mississippi Delta Community College Sports Hall of Fame ceremony, J.T. Hall Coliseum, Moorhead, 3 p.m. 12 — Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce annual meeting, Leflore County Civic Center, 7 p.m. The speaker will be Tate Taylor, director and screenwriter of The Help. 13 — Mississippi Delta Community College graduation, Washington County Convention Center, Greenville, 10 a.m.

SPRING MENU GUIDE

Spring Events 14 — Opening day of the Downtown Greenwood Farmers’ Market, corner of Howard and Johnson streets, 8 a.m. to noon

JUNE 1-30 — Greenwood-Leflore Public Library’s summer reading program, “One World, Many Stories,” on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-July 23 — Cottonlandia Museum’s Summer Discovery classes for kids ages 5-12 9-12 — The Greenwood Little Theatre presents The Buddy Holly Story. 16 — Brown Bag Series lecture by Luther Brown on the blues and the Mississippi Delta, Cottonlandia, noon. 30 — Stars and Stripes in the Park, on the Yazoo River boat landing between the bridges, 5 p.m.

JULY

6-22 — Junior Auxiliary “Bucks for Books” program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the public library 11-17 — Viking Classic, Annandale Golf Club, Madison 29-30 — Tax-free holiday, a two-day exemption on state sales tax on many items.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU AT AREA RESTAURANTS?

The 100th anniversary of the birth of blues legend Robert Johnson will be celebrated with concerts and other events May 5-7.

Delta Bistro Flatland Grill Lusco’s Mai Little China

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The Malouf House

‘Comfortable, cozy and inviting’

The Maloufs worked with an architect, Frank Tindall of Indianola, to design their house on Dunklin Avenue in Greenwood.

STORY BY JO ALICE DARDEN PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

ot long after Shane and Angela Malouf were married 16 years ago, Angela started keeping a clip file of features and elements she liked as she perused shelter magazines — periodicals about houses and interior design. She knew that file would come in handy someday. 28 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

In 1998, the Maloufs bought a house on Parsons Avenue in Greenwood and moved into it with their young daughter, Shelby. Built in 1904, the house had “a lot of character,” Angela said, but after a few years and the arrival of a second daughter, Mollie, they were beginning to feel squeezed. “We loved where we were; we just needed more living space,” Angela said. “We looked around, but we couldn’t find anything.” The couple decided to build. They bought the lot and contacted architect Frank

Tindall of Indianola, who told Angela to write down everything they wanted in their new house. Out came the clip file, which had grown to about eight inches thick, Angela said, measuring the air with her hands. She had some serious culling to do before she could turn the file over to Tindall. Anyone who has ever built a house or done a major renovation knows that every design choice is An Important Issue. Handles or knobs for the kitchen cabinets? Brushed stainless or shiny chrome faucets? Hardwood or travertine tile? White trim or

stained? Paint colors. Fabric choices. Window treatments. Different couples handle these choices in different ways. Often the husband will abdicate all design decisions to the wife. Some husbands want to help with only major decisions. (“Let’s go with brown brick.”) With the Maloufs, “Every decision was a conversation,” Angela said. “Shane has great taste. He had an opinion about everything.” The Maloufs’ 50-50 sharing of those design decisions is understandable. Both are involved in the family business, John-Richard, an international maker of fine home furnishings. Angela, 42, works part time in the shipping office. Shane, 45, is vice president of operations. Each would naturally have strong opinions on design. Overall, Angela said, the couple told Tindall they wanted a house that was “comfortable, cozy and inviting.” Tindall presented an initial blueprint, and Angela said it took two or three months of tweaking details to get it where the couple wanted it. “We tried to make all the changes we wanted before we started building because it’s so much more expensive to make changes later,” Angela said. Because they shared the design decisions, she said, what they ended up with is exactly

Shane and Angela Malouf enjoy the kitchen and den where they do most of their family living and their frequent entertaining.

what they wanted. And what they ended up with is indeed “comfortable, cozy and inviting,” to say the least. Also elegant, graceful and welcoming, the brick two-story sits atop a wide expanse of lawn, behind a circular drive, slightly elevated from Dunklin Avenue in North Greenwood. Angela wanted to be settled into the house before the holidays at the end of 2003. “We moved in two weeks before Thanksgiving,” Angela said, “and the house was fin-

Angela Malouf, on the sofa, says the den and kitchen are the places where the family does most of its living, often with Maggie, their black Lab, curled up next to the fireplace.

ished 18 months and five hurricanes later.” The house has four bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. Shelby is 15, and Mollie is 11 now, and Angela and Shane knew that even though their daughters are close to each other, each would need a bedroom and bath of her own to keep the peace. So the girls’ bedroom suites are upstairs, side-by-side, each decorated in its owner’s chosen fashion, with a loft-style den as a common area, a gathering place

when they have friends over. “We had a spa birthday party for Mollie here and had plenty of room for all the girls and all the stations,” Angela said. Also upstairs, across the loft area from the girls’ bedrooms, is Shane’s “man cave.” It was originally a place where he and his friends could retreat to play cards or watch a game, but Shane began accumulating workout equipment in the room, so part of it has morphed into a compact gym. “It started out as Shane’s room,” Angela said, “but Shelby likes to take her friends up here, too, and since there’s not much else to do in Greenwood, I love it that they want to be here.” The den is the place where everyone congregates as a family. Only a dining island separates the all-Viking kitchen from the den, so while Angela cooks — something she truly enjoys — Shane and her daughters are often right there with her, all of them sharing the happenings of their day. “It’s very important to me for us to sit down and have meals together,” Angela said. “I love to cook, and Shane loves to eat.” The sofa and chairs in the den are oversized, soft and comfortable, and Maggie, the Maloufs’ 6-year-old black Lab, and Annabelle, their miniature

Angela enjoys cooking in the family’s Viking kitchen while her husband, Shane, and daughters Shelby and Mollie join her at the island to talk about their day. Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 29

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Shelby and Mollie Malouf enjoy their living space for entertaining friends. Through the open door in the rear is Shane Malouf’s “man cave.”

schnauzer, keep an eye on everyone’s comings and goings. Angela said color choices for the entire downstairs were based on the matching sofas in the living room, a soft canary. Helping her with selections of furniture and accessories was Mike D’Angelo, a longtime friend and furniture designer with John-Richard. “Mike knows me. He knows what I like, and he has a great eye,” Angela said. On his travels to Europe, he found things he thought would be perfect for the house. D’Angelo brought several antique pieces back from Europe for the Maloufs, including, among many other items, a set of prints and a console for the dining room. One item Angela prizes highly is an antique missalette D’Angelo found in Europe; it rests on an end table next to one of the living room sofas. Leather-bound and written in Latin, the book was used by priests who followed the Latin word-for-word as they celebrated masses. Angela said the missalette means a great deal to her because her family’s Catholic faith is so important to them. For the sake of unity throughout the downstairs, all the walls are a pale fresh celery,

acting as a serene neutral, so all the design choices work together to achieve a graceful synergy that makes upkeep appear effortless. “I told Shane I want the house to be comfortable all over,” Angela said. “If somebody spills something, I want to be able to just wipe it up, and nobody panics.” Many of the accessories and decorative accents in the house are from John-Richard. “All the bed linens in the house are from John-Richard,” Angela said. The couple decided to repurpose some found mahogany for their house. “When Shane and his dad (Alex Malouf of Greenwood) bought the old Baldwin Piano building, they found stacks of mahogany ready to be made

into pianos,” Angela said. Since the beautiful wood would no longer be used to build the instruments, the couple used it for doors throughout the first floor of their house. The spa-like master bath is completely his-and-hers. Shane has his own shower and toilet; Angela has her own bathtub and toilet; each has an ample walk-in closet; and a large double vanity area, with a built-in flat-screen TV, brings it all together. The guest suite and the master suite are each decorated in rich, dark earth tones of embroidered dupioni silk, enhancing the effect of a luxurious, relaxing retreat. Another kind of retreat is found on the porch, accessible from the den, the living room and the master suite.

The furnishings in the Maloufs’ dining room and formal living room are a mixture of European antiques and pieces from John-Richard.

Surrounded on three sides by the house, the brick-floored porch is arranged with comfortable patio furniture that invites lounging. “This is a great place to bring a cup of coffee and just sit,” Angela said. The porch leads directly to a sizeable patio decorated with teak furniture and surrounded by lush landscaping — a perfect setting for the frequent entertaining the Maloufs do. Off the patio, on the manicured lawn within the backyard space, Shane designed a place where he and friends can practice their golf shots. To expand the entertainment space, the Maloufs opened the patio to the triple garage, where the crowd can gather in the rain. Generous storage rooms off the garage prevent the accumulation of clutter, and the absence of garage doors creates a breezy, free flow of movement at party time. The Maloufs seem as at ease hosting dozens of friends for a party as they are dining together as a close-knit family of four. It is clear that their house – “comfortable, cozy and inviting” – was built to allow love and the joy of being together to flow freely through its spaces. LI Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 31

The Trail Project

SIGNS OF HISTORY Local ad execs develop three series of memorial markers STORY BY DAVID MONROE PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

he Mississippi Blues Trail includes markers all over the state as well as Los Angeles, Chicago and other places — but they all have to go through Greenwood first. So have the nine markers for the state’s Country Music Trail, and so will those for the Freedom Trail, which will recognize important sites in civil rights history. The production of the markers involves a lot of fact-checking, but it’s worth it to see how people respond, said Wanda Clark, who is creative director at the Greenwood advertising agency Hammons & Associates and the director 32 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

Wanda Clark and Allan Hammons show a Mississippi Blues Trail marker for B.B. King’s birthplace. The markers are all designed at Hammons & Associates in Greenwood.

Allan Hammons, president of Hammons & Associates, says the Mississippi Blues Trail project came together well with “a little good luck and a lot of support from some good allies in Mississippi.”

for the trail project. “I love learning new stuff, so it’s just been a perfect project for me, because I’m passionate about it,” she said. “I think it’s such a reward from going to the unveilings and seeing either the artists themselves or family members or even a community.” Clark spends long hours working on the designs for these markers and has never missed a deadline, said Allan Hammons, president of Hammons & Associates. The Mississippi Blues Trail was to have 129 markers as of April 30. “She, probably more than any one person I can point to, is responsible for a lot of what people know now as the Mississippi Blues Trail,” Hammons said.

v v v Hammons and Indianola businessman Bill McPherson first began tossing around ideas for a blues trail after hearing others discuss a Delta blues trail at a meeting in Clarksdale. Both had been active in the planning for the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, and they thought that if they designed a marker to honor King, that might generate enthusiasm for more markers. So they

presented a prototype design and had a ceremony in Indianola. They got the response they wanted. “People got excited, and we decided to take it to the next level, which was to design a different kind of marker but something that would be unique to the blues trail idea,” Hammons said. The Mississippi Blues Commission was considering hiring a Virginia company to design markers for a statewide trail, but Hammons and McPherson presented their own design first, and the commission liked it. As a starting point, Hammons looked at the other state historic markers, which typically have about 60 words on one side and the same text on the other side. For the blues trail, he developed a modified version with new colors, cast letters on one side and an open tablet on the other. The tablets could incorporate more than 400 words and could also feature photos and high-resolution graphics. “It’s been a fun project ... and just for a little bit, it might have been all developed by a company from Virginia,” Hammons said. “But with a little good luck and a lot of support from some good allies in Mississippi, we managed to come up with it.”

v v v The markers are hand-cast at a foundry in Ohio, which requires a sixweek lead time. So once a new one is approved and an unveiling is scheduled, the clock is running. Two former editors of Living Blues magazine, Scott Barretta and Jim O’Neal, do most of the research and prepare the copy for the front of the marker. Then there’s the matter of collecting images and figuring out how much to use. Clark likened the design process to a jigsaw puzzle — with the challenge of mixing the most interesting facts with the best artwork in a finite space. They are aiming to appeal to knowledgeable blues fans, as well as casual tourists. And if the information is brand-new, all the better. “We try to show images that either haven’t been seen before or are more rare,” she said. “We want this to be different from Wikipedia. We don’t want it to be what people can already find by Googling something. So if it’s a rare image, then it certainly gets bumped up to the preferred spot on the marker.” A sense of place is important, too, she said: “We really try to tie the marker back Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 33

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to the place if possible. So if we can find an archival image from that town about the era where they lived there, we try to get that in there.” Finding the information can be tricky. Birth certificates often aren’t available for artists from years ago, and sometimes there are inconsistencies in names and other facts. Clark said there’s a lot of back-and-forth between her and the researchers, and she estimated that one in 10 markers requires an allnighter. But if an unveiling is already planned, they don’t have a choice, she said. The good news, she said, is that Barretta and O’Neal “live and breathe this stuff” but still want to learn more — and sometimes they find something new. “They’re really uncovering new history,” she said. “And that’s been the exciting part of this to me, is just knowing we are helping to preserve history.” Others have noticed this, too. For a long time, Hammons recalled, one man delivered the heavy crated markers from Ohio to Hammons & Associates without knowing what they Wanda Clark says the exciting part of designing markers were. So when he asked, “just knowing that we are helping to preserve history.” they opened one up to show don’t have much left. But others in places him. such as Chicago’s Grant Park have been “When he saw the thing, it just blew greeted enthusiastically, too, she said. his mind. And he suddenly realized that “All these big cities have just been so he was delivering the entire Mississippi excited, and they’re acting like we’re Blues Trail,” Hammons said. “And it was doing them a favor by putting the marklike a real source of pride for the guy.” ers there in their towns,” she said. Hammons said that as far as the trail’s v v v organizers know, it represents the first time a state has put official historic markClark said she has attended unveilings ers in other states. The locations include for more than 100 of the markers, includTennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, ing most of the out-of-state ones, and has Maine, Illinois and California. seen some very positive responses. The trail’s website, www.msblues“When we did the marker for trail.org, is attracting a lot of interest as Honeyboy Edwards in Shaw, very few people in Shaw knew that Honeyboy was well, boasting visitors from 136 countries. So someone from far away who is intereven from there — and in the blues ested in a Mississippi site might also world, he’s huge,” she said. “So it feels special to be a part of letting people know stumble on something else from another and giving them pride in what came from part of the country. their area.” v v v Some markers are in small towns that

The next big project is the Mississippi Freedom Trail, which was scheduled to have an unveiling in early to midMay. A task force of historians, educators and veterans of the civil rights movement has been formed to select names and locations important to the movement. “Our initial research has found over 300 sites to be considered, and we’re in the process of prioritizing those,” said Ward Emling, manager of the Bureau of Film, Music and Heritage at the Mississippi Development Authority. Emling said he hoped to have a list of 25 markers by the end of April. Based on the good response to the blues and country trails, the Freedom Trail should receive an even better response just based on its educational value, he said. “It’s like we’re creating a living textbook here,” he said. “That’s how we’re seeing this — that every marker unveiling creates a great opportunity for education.” Hammons agreed: “The Freedom Trail project, once it really gets rolling, will, I think, be every bit as big as for trails is the blues trail in terms of the total number of markers and the stories that get told.” There will be a heightened attention to accuracy for the Freedom Trail, Hammons said. New facts can become part of the message, but they must be corroborated first, he said. “The one great fear we have is of doing something that can be contradicted. We go to great lengths to make certain that whatever we put down there can be verified,” he said. “In the case of the Freedom Trail, that’s going to come under double scrutiny, just because of the nature of the story that’s being told.” And just like the other markers, the ones on the Freedom Trail will go through Greenwood. “When we started all this years ago, I don’t think we ever thought that this would become a real focus of our business,” Hammons said. “But it’s a significant effort on our part.” LI Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 35

Equen Rhodes

An artist comes home STORY BY JO ALICE DARDEN PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS AND COURTESY OF EQUEN RHODES

hose who remember Equen Rhodes from school days in Greenwood might recall a slim, attractive young man who wore turtlenecks and quirky glasses and had an artist’s eye. An “artsy type,” he was a photographer for the Greenwood High School annual, the Deltonian. “I started drawing at an early age,” Rhodes said. “I always had a knack for it.” What started in Rhodes as a “knack” evolved into an extraordinary talent for painting portraits with such realism, clarity of detail and great depth of field that a casual viewer might initially mistake them for photographs. It took a while for Rhodes, 58, a Minter City native who now lives in Starkville, to discover his strengths and hone his skills. But he developed a successful career of portraiture (and paints landscapes and still lifes, as well) and now has decided to bring it back home to Mississippi. Rhodes would have graduated from Greenwood High School, but the law changed while he was there, and he was no longer allowed to live in Minter City and attend 36 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

Artist Equen Rhodes puts the finishing touches on a portrait.

Young Man in a Sweater A portrait of Chris Carl

Greenwood Public Schools. He transferred to Pillow Academy but then left to finish at Cherry Lawn School in Darien, Conn., graduating in 1971. By the end of high school, Rhodes said, he had begun to believe he wanted to make a living as an artist, recognizing even then that it would be an uphill climb.

“Slightly earlier,” he said, “I wanted to be a comic book artist or a cartoonist, which sounds more respectable.” He attended Delta State University, studying under the renowned artist Sammy Britt, who Rhodes said taught him a great deal about color and light. He then left to study at the Memphis Academy of Arts (known as the Memphis College of Art since 1985). In his late 20s, he began to consider moving in the direction of portraiture as his chosen field. While Rhodes was at the

Memphis school, he said, he tried to paint a portrait of a friend but found he couldn’t do it. He had gotten a solid art education. He thought he knew the mechanics. Why couldn’t he paint a portrait? Rhodes learned that painting portraits requires specialized skills and thought processes that not all art education institutions are set up to teach. In his quest to find the best place to learn what he needed to know, he set his sights on The Art Students League of New York in Manhattan.

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Greenwood attorney Floyd Melton III holds Equen Rhodes’ portrait of Melton’s wife, Lisa, and their two children, Anne Craig and Floyd IV.

Founded in 1875, the League offers instruction by successful working artists, and some of the world’s most famous artists have taught or studied there — Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein and Georgia O’Keeffe, for example. “I lucked up,” Rhodes said. “I got to study under Nelson Shanks for four years.” He worked with Shanks both as a student at the League and later as a private student at Shanks’ home in Pennsylvania. He said Shanks emphasized realism in portraits, a quality heavily reflected in Rhodes’ work. A look at Shanks’ website, www.nelsonshanks.com, reveals a few of his subjects — Princess Diana and Pope John Paul II, to name only a couple. Rhodes said he knew he was learning from the best. One thing he has learned from experience is the difference between painting from

Equen Rhodes painted both John Emmerich, the late Greenwood newspaper publisher, and his wife, Celia.

life, which he prefers, and painting from a photo. “I like to paint from life. I can take in a lot more information,” Rhodes said. “I can get to know the person I’m painting. It makes a difference.” With portraits, the trickiest element — and often the most time-consuming — is

the flesh tones of his subject. “You think a photo captures real colors, but it doesn’t,” Rhodes explained. The flash, the printing process and other considerations affect true, live color. To make the necessary adjustments, he said, “you really have to learn to see past the photo. You have to have

done a lot of painting from life to do a portrait from a photo.” Because there is less guesswork while painting from life, Rhodes said, the actual process of drawing the subject and then applying paint to canvas is faster with a live subject before him. But the period from start to finish is usually longer because most people don’t have the luxury of being able to sit for hours at a time, so the portrait takes shape in small increments. “It usually takes anywhere from one to three months to do a portrait from a photo,” Rhodes said. “Larger portraits take more time. And sittings take longer, too.” Rhodes likes to meet with his subjects and get to know them a little before he starts painting, whether from life or from a photo. The painter and his subject have some decisions to make together before the process can begin. One of the first consideraSpring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 39

Business Directory

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tions is size, which will be a factor in how long the process takes. Where the painting will hang is another major concern that even affects what clothes the subject will wear. “I want the painting to be in harmony with where it will hang,” Rhodes said. A painting hanging in a room with mostly warm colors — reds, oranges, golds — needs colors that go with those shades, not colors that conflict with them. So the subject might not want to be wearing an icy blue dress — or if she does, she might want to find somewhere else to hang the painting. Lisa Melton of Greenwood recalls the experience she and her two children had in the fall of 2010, when Rhodes painted their portrait – something she and her husband, Floyd III, had always wanted

The late Gov. Kirk Fordice

to have done before the children grew up. At the time, their son, Floyd IV, was 9 years old, and their daughter,

Anne Craig, was 7. To save time and travel, Melton said, Rhodes used a process of part-photo and partsitting that worked well. “He took some photos of the three of us first to get the composition right,” Melton said. “Then we did several sittings. That’s when he really got the key to the skin tones and our expressions.” The sittings were several hours at a time, Melton said, but the children didn’t seem to mind because Rhodes was entertaining and interesting throughout the process, answering their questions and talking with all of them freely. The backdrop of the painting is a tapestry that belonged to Melton’s grandmother, who gave it to her. She said the detail Rhodes used in depicting the tapestry was

“absolutely remarkable.” She is now looking for exactly the right frame, and when the portrait is hung in her family’s dining room, it will be displayed with the tapestry. “He captured every detail,” Melton said. Rhodes is settling back into life in Mississippi. Soon his wife and his son, William, who’s 20, will join him. The family has lived in Clearwater, Fla., near the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, for the past several years. Rhodes has also fairly recently recovered from cataracts — not the kind of health issue a painter wants to deal with. Now in Starkville, Rhodes is actively painting and eager for more business. To see samples of his work and get contact information, visit www.equenrhodes.com. LI

Business Directory

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Arts for Success

Feats of c lay I

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ANDREA HALL

n Mississippi tradition, when Amber Moak and her husband, Alex, got married in October 2010, they received pieces of pottery as gifts. “They were so beautiful,” Amber said. “We love pottery, and we wanted some more for our collection.” The pottery they received was made by Susan Sheridan of Greenwood. “When I found out, I was like, ‘I know her,’” Amber said. “So I called her, and she invited me to her house so I could pick out and order several more pieces.” Sheridan was happy to sell some pieces but also told the newlyweds about a class she was teaching in Greenwood. Now Amber and Alex are not only adding to their collection of pottery; they are making each piece together with the help of Sheridan and the other members of Arts for Success in Greenwood. “I’ve never taken a pottery class,” Amber said. “It is so much fun, and everybody helps you.” The Moaks are two of the seven students taking the pottery class at Arts for Success. “Pottery is not an exact science. There are no mistakes in pottery,” said Theressa Holliman, director. “What is 42 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

one somebody’s mistake is another person’s cherished piece.” Holliman never really considered herself an artist, but she went to the class because of a friend. Both are moms of only children and were facing empty nest syndrome. “We needed an outlet,” she said. “Something we could do in the evening that was fun.” About three years after starting with Arts for Success, Holliman became the director. Now she enjoys sharing pottery with new and experienced artists in the Greenwood area. “I have met so many wonderful people through this program and made so many friends,” Holliman said. One of those is Margaret Barger, who joined the group to fulfill her need to do something creative. Barger has been putting her talent with clay to work by agreeing to make the hostess gifts for her granddaughter’s wedding. “I am making sets of coasters for each of the 26 hostesses,” she said. Many of the members enjoy

Alex Moak enjoys doing pottery, but sometimes he has to make the projects more manly. When his wife, Amber, told him she was taking a pottery class, he surprised her by saying he wanted to sign up, too. Alex said he took a pottery class in high school and really liked it.

making gifts for friends and family at the studio. Kathie Sutphen has been making plates and bowls, where she presses a piece of her grandmother’s lace doilies into the clay. “Nobody puts out doilies anymore,” Sutphen said. “But they will put out a pretty

plate.” Sutphen sees the plates as a way of passing down a piece of family heritage. Holliman said most of the students, like her, didn’t consider themselves artists before joining the program. They just had an interest in creating art.

“We start at the very beginning — a pinch pot the first week, a coil pot the next,” she said. “This gets them used to the clay and (these pots) are the building blocks for pottery.” It isn’t until the fourth week that students will take a single piece home. “It’s fun for the students and the instructors,” Holliman said. “A lot of people get stressed, and this program is a way of releasing that.” Arts for Success Co-op offers a 16-week class that is open to adults of all ages. Following the completion of the course, students are offered an opportunity to become members if there is space. There currently are about 40 members of the co-op. All have full access to the offices and studio at 214 W. Washington St. Many help teach pottery classes or perform other community service for the co-op. “This is a place for community members who want a

Arts for Success is a co-op program with about 40 members. All the members have completed the pottery class and use their talents to help teach others. Some of the current members who help teach include, from left, Margaret Barger, Theressa Holliman, Carey Deaton, Kathie Sutphen, Pat Irwin and Susan Sheridan.

place to do art,” Holliman said. Arts for Success didn’t start out as a pottery co-op. According to Sheila Clark, former Arts for Success director, the idea for the studio was

modeled after Bill Strickland’s Manchester community in Pittsburgh. Pottery opened up a new world for Strickland, and he spread his philosophy of the arts as motivation — including

in Greenwood. With the help of Henry Flautt, Joanna Ashcraft, Celia Emmerich and a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, Arts for Success opened in Greenwood. Other early important players, according to Flautt, were Orlando Moss and Ann Adams. “Originally, the studio taught lots of art forms — quilting, flower arranging, woodworking,” Clark said. “Pottery was the only one that stuck.” The first Arts for Success class was in 1993. As the organization evolved to concentrate on clay exclusively, the co-op, also under the name Arts for Success, formed in 1998. Flautt, one of the founding fathers of the program, said he has been amazed by all the artists who have passed through the studio’s doors. “Arts for Success has accomplished its goal and has been a catalyst for artists in this community,” he said. “Some of the students now have their own lines of pottery in stores.” LI

Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 43

Lewis Hodges

MOSQUITO MAN STORY BY RUTH JENSEN PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

hey buzz, they bite and they make being outdoors during the summer in the Delta a lot less fun. But for mosquito expert Lewis Hodges, the insects are more than just a nuisance; they are downright interesting. “Once you get to fooling with them, you get fascinated,” he said. And despite what we think, people are probably a mosquito’s least favorite food, Hodges said: “They love to feed on birds, horses, cows and dogs.” Known as “Mosquito Man,” Hodges can tell you just about everything about mosquitoes. “I’ve been to every school on controlling mosquitoes the state entomology department holds,” he said. “In fact, last time I went, the man said, ‘Lewis, you could teach this class.’ I said, ‘I know. Can’t I pay my $35 and leave?’ He said, ‘No, you have to stay.’” After all, the classes are necessary as part of continuing education for a pest control license. Hodges has some good pieces of advice for those who want to hold mosquitoes at bay. The No. 1 way to keep them from disturbing an outdoor gathering is to put a bucket of dry ice about 50 feet away from 44 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

Lewis Hodges sprays an area with his fog machine, which he says makes so much chemical fog that people think something is on fire. He alerts the fire department when he sprays.

Lewis Hodges, who is known as “Mosquito Man,” prepares his chemicals to get rid of the pesky insects, which he says he finds “fascinating.” He loads the mixture in the fogger, below, which produces a spray that can rid a yard of mosquitoes for several months.

where people are. “They are attracted to people because our breath gives off carbon dioxide,” Hodges said. “The dry ice gives off carbon dioxide, so the mosquitoes will go there instead of attacking people.” He also encourages the use of a bug spray that includes the chemical DEET. In addition, people should wear long sleeves and pants, rather than shorts, when they are outside at dusk, he says. As for inhibiting mosquitoes’ ability to multiply, Hodges said anything stacked in the yard, such as old tires or stagnant water, provides a perfect breeding ground for the pests and should be cleaned up. “They like dark, shady places,” he said. “Swimming pools aren’t a problem, since they are chlorinated. People think the river is a problem, but the river doesn’t have anything to do with mosquitoes. The female mosquito is not going to lay her eggs where they’ll get washed away.” That’s one of the things about mosquitoes Hodges finds fascinating.

Another fact is that most of them live out their lives 50 to 60 feet from where they’re born, although a few go farther. The female lives only 30 to 45 days. Females also are fascinating because of the way they protect their offspring and themselves, he said: “She will not lay eggs where there’s something to eat her larvae. She also protects herself by not overpopulating.” She will lay the same number of males as females, and she is fertilized by the male only once in her life and can lay many eggs after that. The reason for the bite is to get the protein from blood to help make the eggs. Hodges got started in pest control when he was employed by the City of Greenwood. “I was pest control manager for 10 years. That’s what got me into the mosquito business,” he said. He now works in maintenance for The Alluvian and does some pest control for friends. “I love working for Viking,” he said. Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 45

MOSQUITO FACTS There are about 77 species of mosquitoes in Mississippi, but only four cause disease. The chief types of mosquito-borne diseases in Mississippi are:

the elderly and rarely causes death, although approximately 15 percent of people with severe symptoms will die.

West Nile Virus: Can lead to meningitis or encephalitis (approximately 3 to 15 percent will die).

LaCrosse Encephalitis: Usually affects children under 16; only about one percent of people who become ill with LAC die.

cases of EEE have occurred in Mississippi. Most infections occur in horses. People of all ages can get the disease, but children are more likely to have severe illness or die. Approximately 30-60 percent of people who become ill with EEE die.

St. Louis Encephalitis: The most common mosquito-caused disease in Mississippi; it affects mostly

Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Causes illness in humans, horses and some birds. Very few human

Worldwide, mosquito-borne diseases kill more people than any other single factor.

“I must taste bad. I can’t remember when one bit me.” Lewis Hodges Only once has Hodges had trouble with the chemicals used in fighting them. “One time I got careless and got too much chemical on me. I was on fire,” he said. “But I have my blood tested regularly.” Now is the time to prepare for mosquito season, Hodges advises. “Don’t wait until June or July. The population will have gotten too high. People should spray every two months. It usually lasts two to three months.” Many worry about using the chemicals, but he believes they are safe once dry, and he purchases chemicals approved by EPA. Despite fooling with mosquitoes, Hodges never gets bitten. “I must taste bad. I can’t remember when one bit me,” he said. Hodges’ “hero” in the business is Jerome Goddard, the former Mississippi Department of Health medical entomologist who joined Mississippi State University’s faculty in 2008. Goddard, according to Hodges, knows everything there is to know about mosquitoes and other bugs. “If he puts on a class, you pay attention. Sometimes we talk for hours after a class.” Even though he works full time at a vocation he enjoys, Mosquito Man hasn’t tired of his avocation. In fact, he sees himself doing it for a long time. “I enjoy it,” he said. LI 46 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

SPRING 2011

The index of advertisers Ad page

Ad page ARCHITECTS 41

ART GALLERY Gallery Point Leflore Upshaw, Williams, Biggers, Beckham & Riddick

GOVERNMENT

City of Greenwood Leflore County Board of Supervisors

AUTOMOTIVE back cover 41

AUTOMOTIVE PARTS Delta Farm & Auto, Inc.

BEER DISTRIBUTOR Capital City Beverages, Inc. Delta Distributing

41 22

BOOKSTORE Turnrow Book Co.

CEMETERY Lap Pet Cemetery

CLOTHING Phil’s Squire Shoppe 14 Puddleducks 34 Rachael’s 43, inside front cover Smith & Co. 43, 1

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce 6 Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Board 6

EYE CARE Walls Vision Center

FARM EQUIPMENT Wade, Inc. Triple M Irrigation LLC

18 46

FINANCIAL Bank of Commerce First South Farm Credit

40 12

FURNITURE McCaleb Discount Furniture

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MidSouth Copier Systems, Inc.

Downtown Drugs

PHOTOGRAPHY

HOME IMPROVEMENT

RESTAURANTS

INSURANCE Alfa Insurance Clark Insurance Agency

40 37

JEWELRY Clevenger Jewelry & Gifts Jewelry Etc. Russell’s Antiques & Fine Jewelry

3 34 14

LIMOUSINE SERVICE Performance Limo Service

LOANS Pioneer Credit Company

MAGAZINE Leflore Illustrated Viking Range Corp.

14 34 40

Greenwood Commonwealth

Westerfield Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc. Bowie Realty DuBard Realty Carmella’s Delta Bistro Flatland Grill Giardina’s Lusco’s Mai Little China St. Francis School

18 14 34 M26 M27 18 M26 M27 37

TOURISM Greenwood Convention & Visitors Bureau Main Street Greenwood

22 12

TRAVEL AGENCY Four Paws Animal Health Center Greenwood Animal Hospital

SCHOOLS

NEWSPAPER

43 18

REAL ESTATE

VETERINARIANS

PLUMBING

Direct Connection Travel

MUSEUMS Cottonlandia Museum

Jennings Photography Lamb’s Photography

MANUFACTURING

PHARMACY

Mallory Community Health Center, Inc. 30 Greenwood Leflore Hospital inside back cover Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center 20 Riverview Nursing and Rehabilitation 37 Sta-Home 3 Lexington Home Center

PET GROOMING Pet Quest Grooming

OIL CHANGE Shell Rapid Lube

HEALTH CARE

GIFTS Fincher’s Inc. Gift Box, The Mississippi Gift Co., The

Custom Glass Services Mobile Auto Glass

ATTORNEYS

Kirk Auto Group Mims Wholesale Motors

OFFICE EQUIPMENT

GLASS

Beard + Riser Architects

Ad page

40 40 40

WRECKER SERVICE Parker Wrecker Service

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index of advertisers index of advertisers index of advertisers index of advertisers index of advertisers Spring 2011 Leflore Illustrated / 47

Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Board

‘It takes a team’ STORY BY BOB DARDEN PHOTO BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

or more than 54 years, the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Board has been at the forefront of advancing business and industry in Leflore County. “I would have to say that this organization, created in 1956, really drives home the fact that this community has been pro-business probably before many other communities were,” said Angela Curry, the executive director of the board. The board was a forward-thinking creation, she said. “It was probably at a time when a lot of communities weren’t focused on industrial development and job recruitment,” Curry said. The six voting members of the current nine-member board are: ! Bill Crump, chairman ! Jean Cadney, vice-chairman ! Dennis Sanders ! Jim Quinn ! Michael Joe Cannon ! Zachary Faison A seventh voting seat remains vacant. Don Brock, Greenwood city attorney, and Joyce Chiles, Leflore County attorney, serve on the board in a non-voting capacity. The board’s initial charter called for the hiring of an industrial engineer or similar expert to present facts to prospective businesses and industries in an effort to get them to locate to Leflore County. The group was also tasked with finding locations suitable for industrial development. Over the past half-century, “Of course, the economic development interest has not dwindled. We’re very active in promoting economic development,” Curry said. She said the board has evolved. “It’s grown into a nine-member board 48 / Leflore Illustrated Spring 2011

Executive Director Angela Curry says the Industrial Board broke new ground by helping to bring filming of The Help here.

and staff who are involved in a very diverse initiative to bring about economic development,” she said. “Economic development is a process. It takes a team to make it work; ‘partnership’ is the word I use.” She said the economy is slowly turning around. “This area was one of the last areas to see the effects of the recession. We’ll likely be one of the last to see the recovery,” Curry said. She did note that one of Greenwood’s biggest industries, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., has recently expanded its operations. The opening of Delta Oil Mill became another major accomplishment for 2010. The Industrial Board does a lot to grow

the community, said Faison, who has been on the board since March 2010. “It is an outstanding vehicle for economic development. It’s a hub for business opportunity,” he said. Faison, Mississippi Valley State University’s special assistant to the president for legal and legislative affairs, community affairs and economic development, said the board helps to bridge the gap between all sectors of the community. “It brings multiple parties to the table. That’s one of its strong points,” he said. Curry said the board works with its “economic development allies,” the Mississippi Development Authority, Delta Council and community leaders. It has also become a major catalyst for community revitalization. “We’re wearing so many hats because we’ve had to diversify our mission. We’ve had to create other ways of community growth,” Curry said. With the filming of The Help in Greenwood in 2010, the board broke new ground in spurring economic development from the film industry, Faison said. “I think that was something that was very innovative. That’s the kind of innovative thinking that is behind the board,” he said. Curry said Hollywood is still playing a part in Greenwood, long after shooting of The Help wrapped: “They are playing a role in the Baptist Town revitalization.” Cannon said the board is vital to recruiting industry. “Our work force is getting better. We’re continuously looking and shopping,” said Cannon, the owner of Cannon Motor Co. The car dealer has served on the board for the past four years. “Everybody’s pulling in the same direction,” he said. “We may not see an immediate impact, but that will come with time.” LI