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he Vicksburg National Military Park draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, largely because of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pivotal role in the American Civil War. But for those that live here, it provides an artistic amenity unparalleled elsewhere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the park, there are over 1,300 monuments created by leading artists of the 1900s,â&#x20AC;? says Bill Seratt, executive director of the Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is one of the most valuable outdoor art gardens in the country.â&#x20AC;?

The park was established in 1899 to commemorate the siege of Vicksburg and the battle that, along with Gettysburg, ended the Civil War. Every state involved was allowed to place monuments and memorials within the park, and almost all have done so. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The artists represented here at Vicksburg are among the foremost American and European sculptors of the 19th and 20th centuries,â&#x20AC;? says Terry Winschel, park historian. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the best known include Victor Holm, Henry Hudson Kitson and his wife, Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson, and then there are others such as Solon Borglum, whose brother Gutzon is well known for creating the heads at Mount Rushmore, and Adolf Weinman, who, in addition to his magnificent statuary, designed several pieces of U.S. coinage, including the Mercury dime and the Walking Liberty half dollar.â&#x20AC;?

Holmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work at Vicksburg includes the Spirit of the Republic sculpture incorporated into the Missouri monument. Another significant work within the park is the Peace sculpture that is

part of the Minnesota monument, created by William Couper.

Other artists represented in the park include Francis Elwell and Anton Schaaf.

An example of Theo Kitsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work may be seen incorporated into the Massachusetts monument, while Henry Kitson created the sculpture of Admiral David Farragut, which is the largest of the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 43 castings by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Off the battlefield, the presence of Tiffany in Vicksburg takes a dramatic turn toward peace and reflection with the six windows found at the Church of the Holy Trinity. The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi created the parish in 1869, and the building went up between 1869 and 1880. The Tiffany windows are a portion of the 34 in total, and get their share of admirers from both the art and ecumenical worlds, says the Rev. Michael Christopher Nation, the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rector.

The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abundance of world-class works provides a solid foundation for a new generation of creative people here. The Vicksburg Art Association leads the charge on that front, presenting three art shows annually â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two for adult artists and one for youth, as well as several workshops and events. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have monthly programs at our home in the Old Constitution Firehouse, and we offer a lot for people who are working artists, as well as those who are just looking to get started and want to mix with other people,â&#x20AC;? Vicksburg Art Association Co-President Jean Blue says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would love to see even more of the community get involved, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking at a lot of projects to make that happen.â&#x20AC;?

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hen empty nesters Brian and Leigh Diaz moved here in 2008 after living in Los Angeles for 20 years, you might say they experienced a little culture shock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we first moved in, we got invited to dinner by one neighbor, and the next day, another neighbor invited us over for champagne,â&#x20AC;? Leigh Diaz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then, another neighbor cooked a chicken for us. A few days later, someone else

brought by a chocolate cake. I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Okay, I can live here. I might gain a few pounds, but I can definitely live here.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;?

It was the first time in more than two decades the couple felt embraced by the community in which they lived. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Vicksburg, when somebody says â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How are you?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; they actually mean it.

And everybody waves and says hello,â&#x20AC;?

Brian Diaz says.

The Diazes were also astounded when they caught their first glimpse of wild-

life, such as eagles, foxes, turkeys and deer, in the front yard of the historic home they bought on Fort Hill Drive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before coming here, the only turkey I ever saw was on the dining room table,â&#x20AC;?

Brian Diaz says, with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But a few weeks ago, I saw two wild turkeys in our yard. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know who was more scared, the turkeys or me.â&#x20AC;?

The couple decided to move here after the youngest of their three children graduated from high school. They initially chose Vicksburg for its proximity to New Orleans, where both Brian and Leigh were raised and where their families still reside. But it was their first weekend spent in Vicksburg that sold them on the city. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We fell in love with the older buildings in the downtown area, and we liked that the city is private and tucked away, but still has everything you want,â&#x20AC;? Leigh Diaz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a close-knit community, but not intrusive. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lovely feeling that

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people care that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here.â&#x20AC;?

Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic charm is as alluring as its hospitality. The city boasts a National Military Park, which commemorates Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integral role in the Civil War, as well as plenty of historic architecture, the Old Court House Museum, century-old bed-and- breakfast inns, five world-class casinos and more.

Vicksburg Mayor Laurence Leyens grew up in the city then moved away for 14 years. But for him, all roads led back to Vicksburg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I came back home because of the diverse, rich culture here,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very eclectic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not your typical small Southern town.â&#x20AC;?

One of Leyensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goals as mayor has been to make the city more attractive, a project that has included $3.5 million spent on landscaping, planting trees and neighborhood cleanup. He has also been involved with revamping Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Twenty-seven new residences have been established downtown since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been mayor, and shops are being renovated,â&#x20AC;? Leyens says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have room for five new restaurants, and a bakery is coming soon. Downtown is redefining itself and becoming a chic place to be.â&#x20AC;?

The same goes for the rest of Vicksburg, according to the Diazes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This city has so much potential,â&#x20AC;?

Leigh Diaz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people here find out weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re from L.A., they always say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wow.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But I always tell them having 62 Starbucks doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make one city better than another.â&#x20AC;?

All of the Diazesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; children â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ages 19, 23 and 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have visited them in Vicksburg and â&#x20AC;&#x153;loved it here,â&#x20AC;? Leigh Diaz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They discovered the South wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what they thought it was.â&#x20AC;?

And while two still live in California and the other is in Boston, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a chance they might follow their parents to Vicksburg â&#x20AC;Ś someday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At this point, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy where they are,â&#x20AC;? Leigh Diaz says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re leaving the doors open for them.â&#x20AC;?

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news, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing our job,â&#x20AC;? says Frank E. Worley, chief of public affairs for the Vicksburg office. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In many ways weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like a seat belt: You may only need us once, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always there.â&#x20AC;?

Encompassing the Mississippi River Commission, Mississippi Valley Division and the Engineer Research and Development Center and Waterways Experiment Station, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vicksburg District is one of its largest civil works entities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They manage the Mississippi from beginning to end,â&#x20AC;? says Christi Kilroy, executive director of the VicksburgWarren County Chamber of Commerce. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Additionally, the Corps provides critical support to the military and to the civilian sector through the development of new technology.â&#x20AC;?

From building lakes to managing their water levels, the Corps does it all, including overseeing seven major river basins, including 278 miles of the Mississippi Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main stem, in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The district also is responsible for about 800 miles of commercially navigable streams and rivers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We maintain the ports and the Mississippi River, which is the aorta of the American economy,â&#x20AC;? Worley says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All sorts of commodities go up and down the river in extraordinary amounts.â&#x20AC;?

Established in 1873, the Corps is one of the oldest employers in Vicksburg, and its people make up a large part of the community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you walked down the street here and asked 10 people if they know someone who works in the Corps, three-quarters of them are going to say

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yes,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? Worley says.

Making a difference in the community doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop at 5 p.m. for many members of the Corps, who participate in various charitable efforts throughout the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also have a vibrant community

relations program,â&#x20AC;? Worley says.

The programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beneficiaries include Adopt-A-School and Job Plus One, in addition to the Angel Tree project through the Salvation Army. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re one of the biggest contributors to that program,â&#x20AC;? Worley says.

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obert Dafford was born on a train headed toward Chattanooga and has lived most of his life in south Louisiana, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also considered by many to be an honorary citizen of Vicksburg. The artist responsible for the 32-panel Vicksburg Riverfront Mural project has spent most of the last eight years in his adopted city painting its history along 12-by-20 foot panels of the flood wall.

Dafford brought a wealth of experience, having completed similar murals in Portsmith, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Maysville, Ky., and Paducah, Ky., where Vicksburg resident Nellie Caldwell noticed his work and chaired the committee to bring him to town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I set up a presentation in city hall where I explained the whole process,â&#x20AC;?

Dafford says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then my team waterblasted the flood walls and used a coating that fills them up and smooths them out. While the walls were being prepared, I met with historians and came up with a list of subjects that relate to their history.â&#x20AC;?

From The Famous Teddy Bear Hunt to The Steamer Sprague: Big Mama of the Miss, Dafford designs and completes each mural. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the murals I really enjoyed was Crossing The Mississippi: Last of the Ferries,â&#x20AC;? Dafford says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a certain type of ferry boat that was developed to transport train cars across the Mississippi. The layout and color was fantastic.â&#x20AC;?

Dafford says he loves the way Vicksburg residents have rallied around his project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since we began, the city has built a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s park and playground, resurfaced the roads and landscaped the area,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People offered us various places for lodging, gave us meals and discounted our materials. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say doing this work has made me rich and famous, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly succeeded in saving some old structures and bringing attention to the area. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done the painting, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been an effort from the whole community.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Stories by Danny Bonvissuto D719A0C@5

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arren Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy companies fuel homes, cars and the economy. The three area plants not only provide power, but also generate jobs.

Bunge-Ergon Vicksburg began production in June 2008 and can produce 54 million gallons of ethanol annually. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and only fuel ethanol plant,â&#x20AC;?

General Manager Mike Tate says.

Between 25 percent and 35 percent of the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corn needs originate locally. The $100 million facility is located at the Port of Vicksburg at the site of a former soybean processing plant and employs 45 people. Bunge-Ergonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plant is designed so that if market demand for ethanol increases, it has the ability to expand. The location on the Mississippi River offers barge loading and unloading capabilities and easy access to road and rail transportation, as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transportation advantages are critical to shipping our product,â&#x20AC;? Tate explains.

The Baxter Wilson Steam Electric Station covers nearly 1,500 acres in Vicksburg. Consisting of two units, one at 500 megawatts capacity and the other at 700 megawatts capacity, it is Entergyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest gas plant in Mississippi, according to Jill Elizabeth Smith, senior lead communications specialist.

Baxter Wilson is powered by gas or oil. The plant, which today employs 63 people, has long been part of the local landscape; one unit opened in 1966 and the other in 1971.

Located 25 miles south of Vicksburg, Entergyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson produces approximately 1,210 megawatts. One megawatt powers about 800 homes, Grand Gulf Communication Specialist Jami Cameron says. In fact, Grand Gulf supplies approximately 20 percent of Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity needs. It also provides more than 500 jobs in engineering, operations, administration, security and maintenance.

The approximately 2,300-acre plant is one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest producers of nuclear power, Cameron says. Grand Gulf prevents emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. In fact, Cameron says, nuclear power is one of the cleanest conventional methods of producing power.

In addition, there is the potential for a new nuclear facility in the area. If Entergy decides to construct the new plant, it would create 2,000 to 3,000 construction jobs, then 200 to 400

¾7b Wa ;WaaWaaW^^W¸a ¿`ab O\R ]\Zg TcSZ SbVO\]Z ^ZO\b œ positions to operate and maintain the plant. According to Cameron, a new plant could be operational between 2017 and 2025 if the company moves forward with the project.

Besides the jobs provided by the plants themselves, a plentiful, varied and relatively low-cost energy supply is an attractive selling point when potential new industries are considering locating here, according to Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Wayne Mansfield. Energy capabilities are a useful recruitment tool, especially when coupled with the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most longstanding asset â&#x20AC;&#x201C; location. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial success can be largely attributed to our location on the river,â&#x20AC;? says Mansfield, who also is executive director of the Warren County Port Commission.

The port currently has 13 industries with approximately 2,000 employees. More than 14 million tons of cargo pass through the Port of Vicksburg annually thanks to the easy road, rail and river transportation access it provides.

Located at the geographic center of the Southeastern United States, Vicksburg boasts the only four-lane interstate bridge crossing the Mississippi River between Memphis, Tenn., and Baton Rouge, La. Ease of road transportation also draws businesses to the Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex, a 1,340-acre park on Interstate 20 just 20 minutes away.

Yet another factor in Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favor is a strong labor force. The port partners with Hinds Community College to train new industrial workers and with the school district to provide technical training for good quality, high-paying jobs available to high school graduates, Mansfield says. For professionals, the Engineering Research Development Center, part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, offers graduate and doctoral courses with university partners.

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3<B3@B/7<;3<B- G=C 03B Feeling lucky? The neutral waters of the Mississippi River provide gaming options galore in Vicksburg.

Owned by Tropicana, Horizon Casino was the first gaming property in Vicksburg and occupies a downtown location close to Main Street and the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waterfront. DiamondJackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offers gorgeous views of the river, and both Ameristar Casino and Rainbow Hotel Casino have recently reinvested in their properties, adding new elements including Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oyster Bar and a sixstory parking garage at Ameristar.

Riverwalk Casino Hotel, which opened in November 2008, has incorporated art into its theme in an effort to stand out from the others.

Besides gaming, Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five casinos also offer world-class entertainment for residents and guests, according to Christi Kilroy, executive director of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce.

The impact of the casinos also is felt throughout the community, she adds. "

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because of the casinos, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to spend money on infrastructure improvements for the city, such as gas, sewage and trees,â&#x20AC;? Kilroy says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to drive into our community and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wow, look at their sewage system!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But we have a lot of cutting-edge technology in Vicksburg which other towns our size donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because of the casinos.â&#x20AC;?

47@AB AB=> A6=E3@ A=C@13 Those seeking the perfect wedding or baby gift likely will find exactly what the future bride or mom-to-be wants at Sassafras, a downtown shop owned by Nancy Bullard.

Bullard says she opened the store as a gift shop, but soon expanded its offerings to bridal items to fill a niche.

Sassafras offers gifts, full tabletop selections, and other kitchen items and home dĂŠcor. It has become the definitive place to register for weddings and other important life events.

The shop was founded on the principle of providing first-rate customer service when it opened in 1989. The launch of

eee aOaaOT`Oa]\ZW\S Q][ in 2002 carried that attitude forward, Bullard says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After that first purchase, we stay in contact with the customer for other needs,â&#x20AC;? Bullard says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to sell to a customer you already have than to a new one.â&#x20AC;?

The shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet presence has expanded its customer base far beyond what Bullard expected. She says that while initially she thought the site would attract Vicksburg visitors who had been to the store, the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatively early emergence and good use of search engines has broadened the customer base to most of the United States.

6=<=@/0:3 =>3@/B7=< The management at the Batesville Casket Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vicksburg plant recognized the facility was moving in the right direction by any number of measures over the past several years.

In 2007, those improvements were rewarded. Industry Week magazine honored the local facility with its Best Plant Award, a distinction bestowed on only 10 facilities in North America.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;We knew we were making substantial improvement to our operations, but we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what others were doing,â&#x20AC;? says Dale Ulbrich, human resources manager for the 200-employee facility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were honored and somewhat surprised to be chosen.â&#x20AC;?

The honor was given based on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gains in cost savings, quality improvement, safety and other metrics.

It followed a multiyear effort on behalf of the management team to continuously improve all phases of the operation, though Ulbrich says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is truly a wholeplant effort.â&#x20AC;?

The local facility, in Vicksburg since 1977, buys green lumber, then dries and processes it into parts for wooden caskets assembled at the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Batesville, Miss. facility. It processes 2.1 million board feet of lumber annually.

B7;03@ E7B6 / BE7AB Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plentiful forests yield fine hardwoods, and Anderson-Tully distributes those excellent products to customers around the globe. The Vicksburg-based operation is a hard-

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wood timber company, selling a variety of material to the furniture, cabinetry and flooring industries.

Anderson-Tullyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty is nontraditional materials, cultivating and processing 12 varieties of hardwoods.

These materials, which include cottonwood, hackberry and pecan, have a mix of characteristics, including color, grain pattern and density, making them suitable replacements for more expensive materials or a fine choice on their own.

Most of the woods are exported abroad, the result of a large portion of the furniture market exiting the United States.

Anderson-Tully maintains sales offices in Europe, Asia and Mexico, with the possibility of others as new furniture-making hubs emerge. The company also is benefiting from the increased emphasis on sustainable development, as Anderson-Tullyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products have the highest level of green certification available. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Very few hardwood sawmills can claim the Forestry Stewardship Council

standard we have,â&#x20AC;? says Executive Vice President Richard Wilkerson. /:: /0=CB B63 07@2A /<2 B63 B@33A The name, though a bit cryptic, does say it all. Ibis and Orchid is a product design company devoted entirely to two themes: birds and botany. John Solomon launched the company in Vicksburg in 2000. He designs a variety of products, including vases, night lights, banks and other gifts. Those designs are sent to his partner, sculptor Min Li Yin in Taipei, who brings his creations to life in bonded marble and porcelain.

The products are shipped back to the 15,000-square-foot warehouse in Vicksburg to be distributed to more than 3,500 wholesalers. Ultimately, Ibis and Orchid creations are sold by gift stores throughout the country.

Solomon prides himself on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifelike creations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take liberties with nature,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want [our products] to be as realistic as possible.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dan Markham

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itting that 100-year mark a few years back was definitely a watershed moment for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, but its second century is proving to be even more exciting.

Not straying from its activist roots in 1894 when the founders organized to protest high fire insurance rates, the chamber participates in promoting pro-business legislation. For example, in 2008, the Chamber focused on supporting state energy bills to ensure that Mississippi remain competitive with its neighboring states in attracting new power plants.

Through its membership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the VicksburgWarren County Chamber of Commerce keeps its members educated on national issues. In addition, it is the only chamber in the state that has received accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The accreditation process, although arduous, is a proven way to assess the quality and performance of the chamber,â&#x20AC;? says Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Christi Kilroy.

In addition to governmental affairs, the chamber has various committees dedicated to creating positive change in the community.

An education committee has teamed up to bring the Mississippi Scholars program to the local schools. The program acknowledges graduates who complete more rigorous courses, log at least 20 hours of community service and have a 95 percent attendance rate.

Vicksburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Certified Retirement Community program also is housed at the chamber offices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Recruiting potential retirees to

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Warren County is a very clean form of economic development,â&#x20AC;? says Retirement Development Director Pam Smith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On average, a retiree couple will inject $78,000 a year into the local economy.

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on this great opportunity.â&#x20AC;?

Âľ=c` \Se bOUZW\S Wa 0cWZRW\U 0caW\Saa 0cWZRW\U 1][[c\Wbg Âś Each year, the chamber also sponsors the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Job Fair and provides numerous networking activities for its members, from breakfasts and lunches to business after hours and ribbon cutting events.

A new young professionals group encourages business leaders under the age of 40 to get involved with the chamber and its diverse programs.

Ambassadors, a critical marketing arm of the chamber, works to recruit and retain chamber members.

The chamber continues to add to its roster of committees and other activities, so that both old and new members can find a way to become engaged in the organization or get more involved if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already done so. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our new tagline is Building Business, Building Community,â&#x20AC;? Kilroy says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are focused on the future and it is looking bright.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Joe Morris D719A0C@5

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fter Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast in August 2005, artist H.C. Porter rushed home to her native Mississippi not to document the devastation per se, but to capture the character and determination of the survivors through art.

Three-plus years after the life-changing storm, the result is Backyards & Beyond: Mississippians and Their Stories, an exhibition of some 80 of Porterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s works accompanied by audio recordings of those depicted.

Porter, a Jackson native, now lives and works in downtown Vicksburg, where she has a gallery. Prior to moving here following Katrina, Porter worked in Jackson and spent 20 years traveling the country to show her distinctive works. To create them, she starts with a black-and-white photograph, makes a silkscreen of the positive image and then applies Prismacolor pencils and acrylic paint on top of that image.

Porter says Katrina was a turning point for her, both personally and professionally. She explains she had spent her career up to that point focusing on Mississippians â&#x20AC;&#x153;for their narratives of what we deal with every day and how we celebrate life.â&#x20AC;? When the hurricane struck, she was doing shows in the Northeastern United States and Pennsylvania and was encouraged â&#x20AC;&#x153;to go home and consider allowing my work to tell the story of what was happening on the Gulf Coast,â&#x20AC;? she says.

Fascinated with painting since childhood, Porter became interested in photography as a teenager. After studying art

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and photography at the University of Alabama, Porter worked for artist Rick Rush in Tuscaloosa and learned about silk screening. She returned to Jackson to open her own studio, and began documenting through photographs the AfricanAmerican residents of her midtown neighborhood and her relationship with them. At the time, she was painting large, abstract pieces and began silk screening the neighborhood childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s images back onto those pieces.

In the year after the hurricane, Porter and her partner and collaborator, Karole Sessums, took nearly 9,000 photographs and tape-recorded the stories of storm survivors. Porter spent the next year creating 81 works that tell the story.

The exhibition opened in Jackson in March 2008 and is traveling around the country. A portion of the proceeds from the exhibition is earmarked to help with rebuilding efforts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People have given me the honor of being the voice for a lot of people on the coast. Many of the images coming out of the coast were focused on devastation, but what has come out focusing on the individuals is the character of Mississippians and who we are,â&#x20AC;? Porter says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to focus on the hope, faith and love that was there in those communities to allow those individuals to tell their stories through my paintings and also through their voices that accompany the paintings. They so eloquently spoke of how much they love this state and why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to stay.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anne Gillem 7 ; /5 3 A D 7 1 9 A 0 C @ 5 1 = ;

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eart attack and coronary disease remain the most lethal of medical issues for American adults, but in Vicksburg, residents have a decisive edge in the battle.

River Region Medical Center was the first accredited chest pain center in Mississippi in 2006, and remains at the forefront of heart-related diagnoses and treatments. The recognition and designation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers takes into account the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protocols, systems and approach to patient management, with the main focus of all being to reduce the time it takes to get a patient treated in the early phases of a heart attack.

With more than 600,000 deaths around the United States from heart disease annually, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a growing problem and one that River Region officials felt they could take some serious

strides toward addressing, says Diane Gawronski, director of marketing and public relations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The accreditation shows that the hospital is better able to focus on cardiac services and streamline its processes,â&#x20AC;?

Gawronski says.

In addition to treatment, the center also teaches patients and the public how to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack.

The rigorous accreditation process means that River Region has met or exceeded quality measures in acute cardiac medicine, has undergone onsite evaluations by a review team and met other process-review criteria. Among the tasks the facility initiated include completing integration of the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency department with the local emergency medical system, continuously improving processes and

procedures, ensuring ongoing training for staff, and supporting communityoutreach programs.

The recognition means that River Region Medical Center, as well as the overall River Region Health System, is continuing to provide needed services in the community so that patients and their families can stay close to home while receiving high-quality treatment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The accreditation assures and validates our commitment to providing excellent care to our community,â&#x20AC;?

Gawronski says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It also acts as a springboard for other certifications.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to the chest pain center, River Region also offers physician practice clinics, an outpatient diagnostic imaging center, an orthopedics clinic, a street clinic, a pain medicine clinic and a chemical dependency unit.

The hospital itself is the largest single-hospital project ever constructed in the state and opened in 2002. It contains nine surgery suites, one specifically equipped for open-heart procedures, as well as three cardiac catheterization labs and three GI suites.

Other services include digital mammography and a recently added 64-slice CT scanner. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Joe Morris

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way to white-collar season, as corporate executives begin flocking to Tara. The facility is a popular location for meetings of trade associations, individual companies and families. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reason conferences and meetings are productive here is at the end of the day, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not scattering into the night,â&#x20AC;? says Mark Bowen, marketing director for Tara Wildlife. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really good for team building.â&#x20AC;?

In the summer, Tara Wildlife is turned over to area youth for camp.

Taraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camps are designed for ages nine through 16.

Campers participate in canoeing, wildlife studies, proficiency training with bows, rifles and shotguns, and learn other outdoor skills during the week-long sessions. Professionals in a number of wildlife fields provide firstrate outdoor instruction.

Tara Wildlife is also popular for folks whose outdoor activities are more passive.

Birders visit the site all year, and in August, Tara Wildlife is the home of the Mississippi River Nature Festival, a twoday event that features tours of the river and surrounding property.

While the property is a natural paradise, it also benefits from its proximity to the city, Bowen says, adding that the staff is proud of â&#x20AC;&#x153;being a part of the Vicksburg community.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dan Markham

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ust 30 miles northwest of Vicksburg waits a 17,200-acre outdoor paradise offering yearround opportunities for recreation, study and appreciation of Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land and water.

Tara Wildlife, with its mix of lakes, hardwood forests and agricultural property, is a haven for hunters, a nest for birders, a getaway for business leaders and a classroom for kids.

When world-recognized conservationist Maggie Bryant founded Tara Wildlife, her idea was to create a site â&#x20AC;&#x153;committed to the management, development and sustainable use of a broad spectrum of natural resources.â&#x20AC;?

That mission is being met.

The facility, which was deeded to the nonprofit Purvis Grange Foundation in 2001, has three separate properties, the 6,500-acre Tara Hunt Club, the 2,800acre Halpino property and Willow Point, a plot of land in Louisiana accessible only by ferry.

Tara Wildlife is best known for its hunting, with an abundance of whitetail deer on the property. Packages for deer hunting experiences at Tara Wildlife, which is limited to bow hunting only, is available from October through the middle of January. Turkey hunting takes place in the spring.

In February, whitetail season gives

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