Oxford April 13, 2017

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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Inside 3 News

Paula Shanks eager to serve Oxford through its growth

4 News

PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN

OSD Superintendent Brian Harvey led a meeting in the middle school auditorium Monday evening to discuss the possibility of a bond referendum and the construction of a new elementary school.

Expecting Expansion

Ceramics artist David Johnson returns to Double Decker

17 Sports

OSD explores possibility of a bond referendum day night to explore the district’s capital improvement plan and discuss their options when it comes The Oxford School District invited to constructing a new elementary community members to convene in school. the middle school auditorium MonThe district is currently examinBY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

ing four options as to how to best respond to the population boom in the district and how to properly accommodate students within the disTURN TO EXPANSION, 10

All-Citizen Boys Hoops: Talent, hard work defined latest group from OHS, LHS

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Volume 3 | Issue 102

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OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

BRIEFING Taqueria El Milagro Reopens

Mexican restaurant Taqueria El Milagro has officaically reopened its doors to the Oxford community. The newly renovated space now contains a small tienda where visitors can purchase authentic Mexican food products to carry home with them.

The full-service restaurant and bar is now serving the public, but hopes to hold a grand opening celebration sometime in the coming weeks.

TackleALZ Oxford Draft Party TackleALZ Oxford is looking for players, coaches and cheerleaders to join our team and help tackle Alzheimer’s.

Anyone interested in

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joining the TackleALZ Oxford team is invited to attend the TackleALZ Oxford Draft Party tonight, Thursday, April 13 beginning at 6 p.m. at The Library Sports Bar (second-floor bar area), 120 South 11th Street, Oxford. A $5 entrance donation to your favorite team or player to enter helps TackleALZ Oxford towards the goal of raising money for Alzheimer’s Association: Mississippi.

TackleALZ is a women’s flag football game, formerly known as Blondes vs. Brunettes (BvB) put on by a Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association: Mississippi. If you would like to get involved we are always looking for players, coaches, #1 fans, event organizers, and volunteers for Game Day–Saturday, May 20 at Lafayette High School.

Masters invited to join CLM Holcomb, Dunbar, Watts, Best, Masters & Golmon, PA is pleased to announce that Jonathan Masters has been invited to join the prestigious CLM. The CLM is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance companies, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk Managers, claims professionals and attorneys. Through education and collaboration, the organization’s goals are to create a common interest in the representation by firms of companies, and to promote and further the highest standards of litigation management in pursuit of client defense. Selected attorneys and law firms are extended membership by invitation only based on nominations from CLM Fellows.

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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Paula Shanks eager to serve Oxford through its growth Paula Shanks is running for Ward 2 Alderman against Mark Huelse. A Q&A with Huelse was featured on Jan. 19, and can be accessed for free on www. oxfordcitizen.com.

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Oxford native and lifelong resident Paula Shanks is running for the seat of alderman for Ward 2. The position is being vacated by Mayor-elect Robyn Tannehill and Shanks, a Democrat, will be facing off against Republican Mark Huelse for the seat. She took time Monday morning to sit down with Oxford Citizen reporter Chaning Green and discuss what issues are important to her ahead of the election.

CHANING GREEN: Are you from Oxford?

PAULA SHANKS: I am. Oxford’s my hometown.

GREEN: What do you do here?

SHANKS: I am retired. I’m

retired from the federal probation service, which is part of the federal court. I had a 30-year career there in public administration there.

During that time, my office tripled in size. I think this was good experience for what we, as Oxford, are encountering now in growth. I believe that experience will be beneficial for serving in the role of alderman on the City Board.

very active in the community throughout my life here. In fact, I was a part of the grassroots movement that helped establish the Vision 2020 plan.The growth and development of Oxford has been vitally important to me all these years. Now that the City has since adopted the Vision 2037 plan, it seems like an opportune time for me to participate in that and bring whatever help I can to the City. HopeGREEN: Did you go to Ole fully my experience and Miss? history would be beneficial SHANKS: I did. I graduated to Oxford and the citizens of from with a degree in pub- Oxford. lic administration. In fact, I went back to college to get GREEN:You’re running for my degree after my young- alderman of Ward 2. How est child graduated from long have you lived in Ward high school here. She went 2? off to college, and I went off SHANKS: My whole life. to college too.

I’m living in the house my dad built in 1950. It’s a tiny GREEN:Why are you run- little house in what is no ning for alderman? Have longer a residential area. you considered this before?

Much of the area is now SHANKS: Well, I actually zoned for offices. So I cerran for alderman for 2005, tainly relate to those people I believe it was. I’ve been who are concerned with

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAULA SHANKS

Paula Shanks is running against Mark Huelse for the seat of Ward 2 Alderman in this summer’s election.

was an issue 20 years ago when we were looking at Vision 2020. I think that we as a city need to focus on it.

We need to proactively see what options are available to us and see if we can make some progress now, rather than this still being an issue for us 20 years in the future.

The other thing would be, and this is a hot-button issue right now, affordable housing. The Vision 2037 plan identified that as an issue that we as a city need to focus on and make progress.

rezoning and about the impact of development on the residential areas. In fact, one of my guiding principals is to reserve and protect the established neighGREEN: So do you like Viborhoods of Oxford. sion 2037? Do you think it addresses important issues?

GREEN: What are some SHANKS: I do. I think that other issues that are import- it’s a well done document. ant to you?

It’s very long and very thorSHANKS: As far as develop- ough and complete. I think ment is concerned, I think a it is a good guide for us as lot falls under that. Some- we move forward. I also thing I hear frequently from think it’s vitally important people not only in my ward, that we hear from the citibut all over Oxford and out- zens of Oxford. I think it’s a side of Oxford is the traffic very healthy thing that we and the congestion. This have a lot of people coming

out to be vocal and actively participate in city government by voicing their opinions.

GREEN: What do you love about Oxford? Why haven’t you left yet?

SHANKS: I love Oxford’s small town charm. I love how we all know each other and people speak to each other, even when we don’t know each other. I love how welcoming we are to people who are new to Oxford or are just spending a short time here. This includes the studends as well. They’re just spending a short time here for school, and then they go out and they make their lives out in the greater world. I just think that we as Oxford are incredibly fortunate. A lot of us know that. I think that encourages people to become involved in the community and to be a part of Oxford. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

OBITUARIES Young Roosevelt Busby

Young Roosevelt Busby, 75, passed away at Baptist Memorial Hospital of North Mississippi in Oxford, Monday, April 10. Visitation will be Thursday, April 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Coleman Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at Mr. Busby’s home, 33 Park Dr., Abbeville, Friday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m. Interment will immediately follow at Abbeville Cemetery. Bro. Randy Hope will officiate.

Memorials and donations may be made to Chris Busby at 27 Park Dr., Abbeville, MS 38601.

Jane Goodman Peeples

Jane Goodman Peeples,70, died Sunday, April 9, at her home in Water Valley. The funeral service was held Tuesday, April 11 at 2:00 p.m. at Waller Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Dan Dickerson officiating.

Burial followed in Spring Creek Cemetery in Banner.

Memorial contributions in Mrs. Peeples’ memory may be made to O’Tuckalofa Baptist Church Building Fund, 3190 HWY 315, Water Valley, MS 38965.

BRIEFING Brookdale to host Easter egg hunt Friday The community is invited to Brookdale’s Easter Celebration on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Brookdale is located at 100 Azalea Drive. For more information, call 662-234-9600.

COURTESY OF DAVID JOHNSON

COURTESY OF DAVID JOHNSON

Ceramics artist David Johnson returns to Double Decker

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

David Johnson has been participating in the Double Decker Arts Festival for six years now. The ceramics artist has been bringing his unique and colorful creations to the Square year after year and has built a loyal following of friends and buyers.

Johnson began working with ceramics 17 years ago as a student at the Memphis College of Art where he was studying fine arts. He graduated from the school with a degree in sculpture with an emphasis in ceramics.

He said he fell in love with pottery for exactly what it is.

He loved how many steps

are involved, how tedious it can be and the wet clay that slid through his hands. It spoke to him, and he didn’t want to give it up.

“It really just comes down to the materials and the process,” Johnson said when asked what first appealed to him about the art form. “It really kept my attention in every stage of the process and I love the material.”

Johnson’s currently based out of Memphis.

He’s a full time potter and spends the year working in his studio and touring different festivals and shows.

Though he does do art pieces that are just meant to hang on walls, most of Johnson’s work is functional. He churns out cups,

mugs and bowls, and then he branches out into more complicated works like full platters and even lamps.

He hasn’t quite mastered making the shades for the lamps, but he’s looking into it. Over all, Johnson said he is currently making around 40 distinct pieces for market.

His work is also known for their vibrant colors.

“My colors are predominantly brighter, and that

seems to be the thing that resonates with my customers,” Johnson said. “My work tends to stand out against other potters who tend to use more earthy tones and stick to browns and dark blues. My stuff is quite a bit brighter.”

Every time he’s come to sell his creations at Double Decker, Johnson said that he feels like his work is appreciated by the people who come through to

look at it. He said it’s nice to know that people genuinely value his work “The customers there are really great,” the potter said of Oxonians. “Everybody seems to receive the work really well. There’s something about that town that breathes a competence in buying handmade goods.

Like, everyone understands it and appreciates it.”

This year, Johnson’s booth is going to be located on the southern edge of the Square, rather than closer to the courthouse as he was in years past. He’ll be the very first booth visible when entering from South Lamar Boulevard. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

COURTESY

Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church partnered with Lafayette County Board of Supervisors representative Kevin Frye on April 8 to clean trash along County Road 225.

Local church partners with Board of Supervisors for trash pick-up

BY CODY FUTRELL NEWS WRITER

One local church is taking the “Keep Oxford/ Lafayette County Beautiful” Initiative and running with it.

Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church on County

Road 225 off Highway 30 in Oxford partnered with Lafayette County Board of Supervisors representative Kevin Frye April 8 to clean trash along the road which has been a problem – not just for Frye and District 1 – but for the entire county as the area continues to

gain more residence each year while county maintenance crews struggle to keep up with the demand at all times.

“County Road 225 received a new asphalt surface last year in accordance with the District 1 four-year road mainte-

nance plan,” Frye said.

“One of my goals as supervisor is to continue to form partnerships with neighborhoods as we upgrade road infrastructure – this will help maintain and increase property values as our community continues to grow.”

Frye said he hopes other districts within Lafayette County will also take up the initiative in the future.

LaTasha McJunkins, a member of Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church for 16 years, helped organize the clean-up crew and a group of church members provided lunch following nearly two hours of clean-up which produced more than 60 bags of litter.

“First time working with anything like this. I was excited for it to be in our

community and we came together and organize a great effort,” McJunkins said. “Everything fell into place excited about pitching in and getting it done.”

McJunkins said that the local community was excited to do something good for the community.

“We saw the need,” McJunkins said, “And everybody was excited to get together and get it done.”

“We hope we made a significant difference in that neighborhood,” Frye said. “My hope is we can continue this quarterly and we can turn this into a program that happens in other parts of the county as well. It is really not practical for us to pay county employees to pick up every county road on a regular basis. If – as we go in and upgrade road services

evert four years – we can get members to maintain upkeep, it is valuable to the county as a whole, and it allows them (the county) to focus on highways and things like that.”

Michelle Robinson, Recycling Coordinator with Keep Oxford/Lafayette County Beautiful” state the goal would be for the clean-up projects to come together at least three times per year.

“Litter is such an issue here,” Robinson said.

“From trucks not covering up their loads to fast food bags in back of trucks; Students not caring enough and throwing things out the window. I am very appreciative of the church and their efforts.”

For more on how the public can help contact Robinson at 662-232-2745.

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PAGE 6

REBEL MAN

PHOTO BY CHANING GREEN

The annual Rebel Man was held again this year at the University of Mississippi. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the event, which is normally a triathlon, consisted of a 400m swim followed immediately by a 5k. Competitors started their swim in the Turner Center pool, hopped out, put on shoes and hit the pavement for the 5k. Competitors were greeted with medals, cheers and refreshments as they ran across the finish line.

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OXFORD CITIZEN

Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

OUUMC to hold Easter service at OHS

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

This Sunday, Oxford University United Methodist Church will be holding their Easter Sunday service in the gymnasium of Oxford High School at 10 a.m.

The venue change is due to the heavy construction they church is currently undergoing. Associate Pastor Chris McAlilly said that the church has had to adapt and change some things up because of the construction, but they aren’t letting it stop them.

“Every time we’ve faced an obstacle due to the construction, we’ve tried to use it as an opportunity to be creative,” McAlilly said.

“For example, on Wednesdays, before the construction, we would usually do a dinner and then service.

Due to the construction, we weren’t able to do that anymore, so we began small, in-home groups at different

people’s houses, where we would share a meal and just have a conversation based around a particular aspect of faith, life and the world today.”

The original portion of the church was constructed in 1937. Additions and expansion came in the 1950s with the addition of a new sanctuary and then later again with a children’s area, classrooms and more.

Over the last several years, the 1937 portion of the church had fallen in such a state that the church ultimately decided to raze much of the original church building and rebuild. The two sanctuaries used by the church are still standing. The one constructed in the 50s is known as the main sanctuary and is still used regularly for services.

The original sanctuary, referred to as Wesley Hall, is being used for storage and an office for the contractors during the construction of

the new area.

In year’s past, OUUMC used both the main sanctuary and Wesley Hall to accommodate the large influx of churchgoers on Easter Sunday. The main sanctuary can only hold approximately 500 people safely. With more than 1,600 people turning up over the course of three services (the largest of which being the 11 a.m. service that saw about 800 churchgoers), Wesley Hall was used as

sort of an overflow sanctuary. Because of construction, Wesley Hall cannot be used and parking near the church has become even more limited.

“About a year ago, we knew we were pushing forward with construction and that we were going to lose parking,” McAlilly said.

“Easter service was one of the first things we were thinking about. So, we’ve been thinking about this and getting ready for it for

about a year now.”

Since they have such a large space to use, the church will be holding one 10 a.m. service on Easter, accommodating everyone. “One service as one church,” as McAlilly put it.

The sermon will be entitled “A Skeptic Looks at Resurrection.” Over the next six or seven weeks, OUUMC will be looking at different aspects of the Christian faith from a skeptics point of view.

“It’s going to be a series that is examining the various tenets of the Christian faith,” the associate pastor said. “Part of the premise is that church is not often a place where you can be honest about perceptions and doubts. We want to provide an opportunity, not just on Easter Sunday, for people to ask those harder questions. We want a place for a person who might be burned out on the church, has been burned by the church or is just looking for a place where they can be honest about their questions – our hope is to provide a space for that.”

OUUMC said that anyone and everyone is welcome to the service and that more information can be found on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages @OUUMC. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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Kris Brasher hired by OPC

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD PARK COMMISSION

A new challenge, with a new blank canvas to paint on, drove Kris Brasher to pursue the position he was recently hired for at the Oxford Park Commission.

Brasher is the new Administrator of Leisure Lifestyles program as well as the Aquatics Director for the Oxford City Pool.

Brasher came to the OPC after spending the past 19 years working at the North Mississippi Regional Center. His focus was with the recreational therapy department. For 15 of those years at NMRC, Brasher served as the aquatics director and was certified in aquatic therapy and recreation that benefited the clients of the facility. Brasher based his activities based on how they could help individuals. That’s exactly what he wants to do for those that take part in all of the classes the LLO offers.

“I thought that I could be good for this program and I thought the program where I was, I thought it could be almost better served with a fresh set of eyes in there with new ideas,” Brasher said. “I had been doing that job for so long, it was time for me to move into a role I could use my educational background and my skills more so than what I was. It will be a challenge for sure, but it is one that I am very much looking forward to.

Balance, organization, and flexibility will all play a major role in making this position all that it can be.”

Brasher, who calls Coffeeville home, earned a master’s degree in Parks and Recreation Management from the University of Mississippi. He attended and matriculated through Kirk Academy prior to that.

The residents of Oxford and Lafayette County are important to Brasher, who described himself as a people person.

“I want to make a bigger impact and that’s why it was time for something

JOHN DAVIS

Kris Brasher was recently hired by the Oxford Park Commission to the be Leisure Lifestyles Administrator and Aquatics Director for the Oxford City Pool. new,” Brasher added. “We want to grow LLO. It will be easier to accommodate growth once we get this new building. It will give us new rooms to meet. We’re going to critique everything that’s going on right now and see how we can maximize our space, maximize our schedule. For at least the next month, I’m going to meet with most of the classes. I’m going to be present and speak to the patrons and build a rapport with all of the instructors of the classes.”

One thing Brasher doesn’t want to do is to change what the LLO has become under Deb Helms, who is still serving the program on a weekly basis as a recruiter. “Deb has built an excellent program. It’s something that has started from eight people to the 800 or so it is now. Those are great numbers,” said Brasher, who was going to lean on Helms as he learns LLO because she has made the contacts and set up the programs. I’m not going to change anything without a thorough evaluation of the program or activity. I’m going to try and come up with some new ideas that haven’t been done and maybe I can help make the schedule a little more efficient. Once you have your instructors for all of your classes and they have contact information to get with their folks, it runs itself pretty well. My job and Deb’s job right now

is to be present. If somebody is having a bad day, I might just need to listen to somebody’s bad day. I feel like my personality is fitting for this. I also don’t see why this program won’t be even better with an extra person coming on board.”

This summer will be a busy one for Brasher as he learns the ropes at the city pool under the direction of OPC Deputy Director Bubba Robinson. In 2018, Brasher will be the one who has to manage the facility, and he needs to know all the details, the ins and outs, in order for that transition to go smoothly.

“I’ll be learning all the ropes there and I’m still trying to find the line between how much I’m going to be with LLO and how much I’m going to be at the pool,” Brasher said. “I know I need to learn everything from Bubba because he is the only one who knows anything about the pools.

There are a lot of logistics involved that I intend on learning. I expect to be a the pool a lot the next few months.”

Brasher is married to Kathryn and has two little boys, Cooper and Caleb, who are ages 1 and 3. When time allows, Brasher likes to play golf, and keep up with the sport.

“I’m also an avid outdoorsman. I love to be outdoors. I have done a lot of hunting, fishing, camping,” Brasher said.

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

Expansion FROM 1

trict. The first option would add four first grade classes to Bramlett Elementary School, thus decreasing the number of students at Oxford Elementary. The second option would require district zoning for grades one through four. Option three would invest $2 million in a cafeteria expansion that would also add four to six classrooms to Oxford Elementary with possible renovations to Bramlett.

Option four, the one being most heavily considered, would call for a bond referendum in the fall, which would pay for the construction of a new elementary school. This school would replace Oxford Elementary and therefore only accommodate first and second graders, and would allow the district to maintain their system of having two grades housed at each school in the district, excluding the high school.

If this plan were to move

forward, the district would most likely turn what is currently Oxford Elementary into to several offices to be used by various district officials. They would also be willing to sell the property.

Superintendent Brian Harvey led the assembly and discussed how the focus was largely centered on what to do about the overcrowding at the elementary school that would soon become unmanageable and impractical. Oxford Elementary, located on Hwy 30, is also in an unusual location. Being right off the highway, traffic there during school hours is always a problem. Harvey pointed out that while the land is a great location for a hotel or some other business, but not the best for a school.

All of this comes in response to the unprecedented level growth the area has been seeing over the last few years. Oxford and Lafayette County are the fastest growing municipality in the state, and that puts a significant strain on the

school system and the infrastructure surround it.

The Oxford School District gets their numbers of projected enrollment from the number of live births in the area in a given year.

For example, in 2012, there were 583 live births in the area. Those children are now of age to register for kindergarten in 2017. It’s always a guess, but approximately 60 percent or more of those students will register within the OxfordSchool District. This number does not include the students who move to the district or join later in the year.

It’s all a numbers game of projections and estimates, but the point is that the district, and the city as a whole, is growing significantly. The district wants to make sure they’re ready to fully accommodate everyone.

Harvey also discussed the issue of zoning at the meeting. In larger cities, they often zone areas of the school district. As an example, if Oxford were to be zoned for first through fourth grade,

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017 students from one zone would go to Oxford Elementary while the children in the other zone would attend Della Davidson.

There are absolutely no immediate plans to even approach zoning Oxford in the foreseeable future, but Harvey said he thinks it will be unavoidable in the coming years. The issue may be 10 or 15 years down the road, depending on how they handle their current situation, but he believes it’s coming.

The next meeting that will be held to discuss the possibility of a bond referendum and new elementary school will be held on May 1 at 6 p.m. in the Oxford Middle School auditorium. The district welcomes any and everyone to the meeting and is seeking input, feedback and suggestions from anyone who has something to offer. For more information about the issue and how to get involved, visit www.oxfordsd.org/bondref. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

BRIEFING Oxford Civil Air Patrol to meet Thursday The Oxford Civil Air Patrol welcomes USAF Airman First Class Mayer, Persian-Farsi Cryptologic Linguist, retired, to open the meeting on Thursday, April 13 at 6:30 pm. Mrs. Mayer will discuss her military career as a linguist and translator. She has interesting stories about her experiences beginning with basic training to her mission assignment.

The weekly meeting is held at the terminal of University Oxford Airport, on McElroy Road, near College Hill Road.

Meetings close at 8:30 pm.

Following the speaker, “Cadets Great Start” will be presented to welcome and introduce new Cadets to Aerospace Education, Emergency Services, and Cadet Programs. Summer encampments in pilot training, glider school, airplane manufacture, search and rescue, and many other summer camp options around the US will be recommended.

Cadets may join from age 12 to age 18. Parents, teachers, and prospective members are welcomed. Refreshments will be served. Please contact CAP Commander Dwight Frink, Professor of Management at Ole Miss, with your questions at 662-832-3381.

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

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OXFORD CITIZEN

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Thursday, april 13, 2017 paGE 13

OXFORD CITIZEN

Betty Wiseman

Susan Griffin

Amanda Miller

Chris Hill

Hunter Richardson Chanda Tina Cossitt O'Quinn

Jenny Decker

Elliot Long

Judy Simpson

Frances Dempsey

April Haynes

Dennis Cox Nicole Cain Wright

Kim Wood

Jennifer Harrelson

Sheli McClellan

Wendy Whitney Parker George

Jennifer Brown

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

Weesie Jaz Biedenham Buchanan Kayla Tabler

Melissa Knotts

Anita Nunnelee

Wade Magill

Jessica Harris

Kaye Ladd

Todd Jordan

Cathy Ward

Brant Garner

Kevin Knight

Sue Golman

Paula Crum

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PAGE 14

OXFORD CITIZEN

Martin Mesecke

Sean Hettinger

Debbie Russell

James Hunter

Will Troxler

Ron Smith

Megan Robinson

Annette Newborn

Linda Swinney

Blake Trehern

Casee Becker

Leslie Card

Keith Henley

Eileen Saunders

Monte Smith

Brandon Allred

Caroline Felker

Merisa Baker

Deborah Tierce

paGE 15

Janet Suggs

Polina Wheeler

Tommy Morgan

Dede Lewis

Danny Flowers

Carol Horne

Vic Sullivan

Gail Wilemon

Meredith Martin

Lisa Grant

Tiffany Franks

Brandon Speck

Michelle Mary Ann McAuley Elmore

Sadie Smith

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

LCSD to add modular classrooms to elementary schools

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

The Lafayette CountySchool District is moving forward with the purchase and instillation of modular classroom units to supplement instructional space for the upper and lower elementary schools in the coming school year.

The district is currently sorting through bids on the project, but they are expecting it to cost around $50,000. Once the district decides on the right company to go with, they will purchase the units and install them on the campus in locations that have yet to be determined. The district wants to formally consult with the selected provider of the modular units before they decide exactly where

the units will be placed.

Superintendent Adam Pugh emphasized that while this is a Band Aid to temporarily alleviate the very real issue of overcrowding in the school district, it’s a necessary one.

The district has been working for more than a year now on the identification and allocation of land for a new elementary school to combat the issue, but in the meantime, they have to have additional instructional space.

“We are at capacity,” Pugh said. “We’re doing this because we have an overcrowding issue. I know that this is less than ideal situation, but we have enough students that necessitates us to do this until we can a new building constructed to alleviate this.

We’re continuing to work with our engineers and architect looking at that, and the supervisors have been very, very helpful with this in our search to locate some land for it.”

These modular classroom units will provide two additional classrooms to both Lafayette Elementary School and Lafayette Upper Elementary School, totaling four additional classrooms for the district with two classrooms in each unit. Both schools will also have to hire an additional teacher and reorganize some things to ensure the district maintains an adequate student-to-teacher ratio.

Oxford and Lafayette County are the fastest growing municipalities in the state. Both the city

and county districts are exploring their options of constructing a new elementary school. While the city’s district is basing their enrollment numbers on the number of live births within the district limits and thus projecting outward, the county is looking at how many kids they already have enrolled in school. This number will increase for the county as kindergarten registration continues and students continue to move to the district over the summer and throughout the school year.

Building a new elementary school is a top priority for the district. The issue, however, becomes complicated when it comes exactly where to build the new school and do it in such a

way that it can be expanded when needed. The campus the district currently sits on is full. They’re going to need to go somewhere else with this new building.

“We need land that is in close proximity to the other schools in order to prevent bussing issues,” Pugh said. “Our county is too spread out to have bus routes run at separate times, that’s something we wouldn’t be able to do. It needs to be close. We are land-locked in our current location, so [the new elementary school] will have to be located off campus.”

Lowe elementary Principal Paula Gibbs and upper elementary Principal Thomas Tillman brought urgency of the issue to the attention of the district a few months ago and made

it clear that they could not be functional in the 20172018 school year without the instillation of the modular units, set up and ready to go on that first day of school. So the district is acting accordingly and Pugh said they will have them ready come August.

“This is not a want; this is a need,” said the superintendent. “Putting these modular units in is just a sign of where we are. On that first day of school when the kindergartners show up, plus the students who have moved here over the summer, and, despite our efforts in pre-registration, we often get a little bit of a shock at the number of students we have.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: @chaningthegreen

North Mississippi soccer to benefit from Oxford, Tupelo merger

BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD PARK COMMISSION

Two of the most successful soccer organizations in the state of Mississippi have merged. And the youth who play the sport in North Mississippi are going to benefit from it.

The Oxford Soccer Club of the Oxford Park Commission has joined forces with the Tupelo Futbol Club United, which is associated with the Tupelo Youth Soccer Association.

The merger didn’t just happen on a whim, it has been in motion for almost two years. Wednesday’s vote by the OPC board to approve the merger helped finalize additional details for North Mississippi Soccer Academy, the name created from the combination.

Christian Dane, who will serve as the NMSA Tupelo Site Director and Boys Technical Director, said the merger will help improve the quality of competitive youth soccer in the area in a variety of ways.

“It will provide more playing opportunities for all of our kids. It will allow

us to ability group them.

More talented players will be with more talented players,” Dane said. “It will allow us to play at a high level. That’s certainly the biggest advantage of it, expanding our player base, by putting our two clubs together.”

Other advantages of the two clubs coming together include expanding the reach in North Mississippi.

Not all of the players on the teams live in Oxford or Tupelo or even in Lafayette and Lee counties.

Athletes travel in from Pontotoc, Grenada, Batesville, Corinth and other areas to take part in the weekly training.

“We have a lot of players that are outside of these two municipalities and this will allow us to continue attracting more soccer players to help build our program and continue to go in the right direction,” Dane said. “By combining our coaching staffs, it will also allow us to provide better and more comprehensive training for our players. It will allow us to have a better developmental model.”

The trainers that instruct in the two clubs combined are some of the most qualified in the state, and region. Four on staff hold at least a National B License from the United States Soccer Federation. There is one coach with a National A License, and three others with a National B License. The requirements are even more detailed for the National A License to be achieved. There are now over 20 coaches on staff thanks to the merger, all with licenses or diplomas geared towards youth soccer training. In order to gain some of the highest licenses, Dane said it is like going back to college.

“Being able to have more full time, dedicated soccer professionals for our kids is going to lead to better players,” Dane said.

In addition to the high level of coaching the NMSA can provide, athletes will be able to learn the game on two of the premier facilities in the state at FNC Park and at Ballard Park.

“They are two of the biggest, and two of the more quality facilities in the state. You could even argue two of the better ones in the Southeast,” Dane said.

“It allows for us to be even more regionally relevant from that perspective, as well as a talent perspective, in Region 3. We want to be

more competitive, provide a better platform for our kids to reach college and to take advantage of the excellent facilities and the support of two great cities in Tupelo and Oxford that are behind this. The economic impact of those cities is going to grow because of the events we are going to bring in by combining resources and facilities.

That’s what is really good about it as well.”

Over the past two years since the first discussions of coming together, representatives from Oxford and Tupelo have gained input from the parents and others associated with the various clubs. Dane said all of the straw polls and things of that nature came back positively.

“We didn’t take these kinds of steps by putting the cart before the horse,” Dane said. “By doing this, we are showing our customers, our members, that there is more out there and when we explain what is out there, they seem to be a little bit more behind change. That can be a difficult thing, but we were able

to explain why and show the benefits for their children.”

“This allows us to become more in line with the standards the USSF is promoting from a player-development perspective. This merger allows us to accomplish that for our athletes even better than before,” said Shaun Edgar, who will serve as the NMSA Oxford Site Director and Girls Technical Director.

Mark Halbert, who will serve as the new president of NMSA, thought the merger was an easy call considering all the benefits.

“The Oxford and Tupelo youth sports communities have always had a cooperative relationship, and that is especially true with soccer,” Halbert said.

“North Mississippi Soccer Academy provides a formal vehicle to combine our people and resources, and the name reflects our focus on player development. I cannot overstate the positive impact this merger will have on soccer players in our respective communities and others across North Mississippi.”

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PAGE 16

SportS

paGE 17

Ben Mikell Sports Writer

Lafayette girls basketball became a household name in 2010 Editor’s Note: This is the No. 19 Lafayette story in a 40-part series highlighting the 20 most memorable moments in Oxford Athletics and Lafayette Athletics since the turn of the century. This edition is about the 2010 girls basketball team.

L

ast March, the Lafayette Lady Commodore basketball team won their first gold ball in 35 years. It took a lot of hard work and dedication for that team to go all the way this past season.

But that probably doesn’t happen without the strong base the 2010 team set. It was that season many teams around 4A started to take Lafayette girls basketball seriously. It also raised expectations for Lafayette athletics as a whole.

Before the 2009-10 season, Lafayette girls basketball in general didn’t have much success. With Oxford always in the same division years ago, that made it extra tough to even compete in division play.

Then came along coach Amy Sutton, who was the coach for Lafayette until the end of the 2014 season before taking her current job at Batesville Middle School as an assistant principal. Under Sutton’s leadership, the Lady Commodores became a team to be reckoned with in 4A winning their first division title in years and making a run to what was then a four team state tournament at the Big House in Jackson.

“We had just come from two disappointing seasons,” Sutton said about her first couple of years as head coach. “I had just taken over in the 2007-08 school year. First year we won one game and then the following year we won about five to 10. We were just gaining some momentum as far as confidence, hard work, and dedication. This was the third year. I had a group of girls who had been with me, I had coached them at the junior high level. Everything started to click and we were really working hard and had some really hard goals and everybody was on the same page. Just the grit and the grind of it all made it memorable.”

The 2009-10 campaign started off with TurN TO LAFAYETTE, 21

JOEY BRENT

Members of the 2017 All-Citizen Boys Basketball team include Oxford’s Terry Williams, Drew Bianco, Jarkel Joiner, Lafayette’s Cory Williams and Keilan Buford.

All-Citizen Boys Hoops

Talent, hard work defined latest group from OHS, LHS

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER

Talent was only part of the reason people cheered for Oxford High senior Jarkel Joiner. The senior standout, who finished second in the nation in scoring average at 36.8 points per game, had everything a coach could ask for.

He could shoot, pass, defend and maybe just important, Joiner could inspire.

His leadership helped bond together the Oxford Chargers, who advanced to a third straight MHSAA Class 5A state tournament and finished with 25 wins in 33 games played.

Joiner, who will play for former Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes at Cal-State Bakersfield, was the best player Oxford’s Drew Tyler coached during his tenure.

He set scoring records in Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee this year alone.

“With all the stats, he put up through his four years of Oxford basketball, it’s easy to support and cheer a player like Jarkel,” Tyler said. “People will keep up with him because he is just so humble.

Even opposing fans found themselves cheering for him. His stamp is on our program and we can see it now with how our young kids are working so hard, the ones that were fortunate enough to play with him, as well as the middle school

kids that got to watch him. I think the Oxford personnel and the community that have been tuned in to Oxford sports and basketball, we may not realize what we don’t have until we don’t have it.”

Joiner is one of three OHS Chargers on this year’s All-Citizen team. Joining him are Terry Williams, a senior, and Drew Bianco, a junior. Lafayette’s Cory Williams, a senior, and Keilan Buford, a junior, are the other members of this year’s team. The Commodores advanced to the Class 4A playoffs this season and went from winning zero games two years ago to posting 12 wins this season thanks to the hard work turned in by Williams and Buford, among others.

OXFORD

Tyler said his 2016-2017 team made a lot of special memories. A month after the season came to a conclusion, he was able to reflect on another fantastic season.

“There were a lot of records set, individual and team records set, but this group of kids, the three that made the All-Citizen team, they are so about each other that even some of the individual records that were set, it was like the whole team shared them,” Tyler added.

“It was an easy team to coach. This team maximized just about every trip on offense. We would get to the foul line or

score. We scored a high percentage of the time. We didn’t have a lot of empty trips. With Jarkel’s offensive firepower, it was a spectator’s dream to watch.”

The Chargers averaged just under 74 points per contest. Terry Williams was second on the team with 17.3 points per game.

“I loved how Terry and Jarkel turned up their intensity their senior year and how hard they worked,” Tyler said.

“They set goals and met goals as far as getting to state.”

After a two-year layoff, Bianco, who averaged 7.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, returned to the court and by the Christmas break, he was back to his old self.

“Halfway through the season, we had smoothed out his rough edges and he was efficient on offense and complemented J.J. Pegues well. At the same time, the conversations surrounding high school athletes, Drew Bianco became a basketball player this year,” Tyler said. “I think he contradicted the statement that we have a baseball guy playing basketball. He had a number of double doubles and was a fun player to coach. I’m really excited about coaching him his senior year.”

TurN TO ALL-CITIZEN, 21

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

Patterson Finds Footing in Spring

BY BEN GARRETT

SPECIAL TO OXFORD CITIZEN

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year, Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson was participating in his first iteration of spring football practices. Sure, there were expectations.

Patterson was ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the high school ranks in 2016.

But he had time.

Patterson spent much of his true freshman season simply trying to find his college footing. He sat and watched, learning from then-senior starter Chad Kelly. He ran some scout team and led the No. 2 unit on occasion. All in all, though, he lived a charmed, worry-free life for a handful of months.

But then Kelly suffered a season-ending injury in November, and suddenly Patterson was thrust into the spotlight. He played

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Patterson, the unquestioned starter, completed 21 of 30 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns in the Grove Bowl. He’s the face of the Rebels and the leader of an Ole Miss offense ushering in a new offense under recently-hired offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

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in three games, including a come-from-behind win over Texas A&M in his college debut. Back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and instate rival Mississippi State followed.

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“He gives his teammates a confidence. It’s taken him a little while, too, because everything (with the offense) was new. All the verbiage, the drops you have to take and add to that the run game and the checks off of that. Today the call list was (small). He had a good understanding of it, and I thought he was very efficient. I don’t think

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ing with NCAA issues and a one-year self-imposed bowl ban. Yet he’s handling it all.

“I think the team as a whole reacted pretty well,” he said. “We obviously got the news, and it stinks not being able to play in a bowl game this year. But all of those guys came in in the 2016 class and 2015 class and the vision still remains the same. We still have 12 games against the best teams in the country in the best conference. The vision doesn’t change. We still want to win a national championship.

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“The guys around me in my class really helped me through it. They kept me positive. We all keep each other positive; we’re all going through the same thing right now. So the biggest thing for us is we’re staying positive.”

Patterson said leadership isn’t something he’s had much trouble with, though the vocal side of it remains a work in progress.

“Last year I got to sit back and watch Evan Engram and Chad and all those guys that led the team and learn the positive things that they did and the negative things that they did,” he said.

“You take it in, and I think the biggest step for me this spring was to be a vocal leader. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that.

“I’m not really a rah-rah guy. But I think that’s one thing that I chose to improve on this spring. Being around these guys – Jordan Wilkins, Javon Patterson

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and all those guys – has really helped me with that goal.”

Overall, Patterson believes the spring was productive. More often than not, the Rebel offense got the best of the defense, and the Grove Bowl was no different. The players have quickly adapted to once-unfamiliar schemes, etc., of Longo, and Patterson is pleased with where the Rebels are entering the offseason.

“The spring’s been great,” he said. “The offense was really anxious to learn the new system. So far I think the offense is flowing pretty well. I’m very comfortable. Right when coach Longo got here I believed in his system because of the success that he had. We’ve all kind of bought in. I’m 100 percent confident in him and the system.

“We’re pretty good right now. We’re going to be even better in August.”

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PAGE 18

OXFORD CITIZEN

paGE 19

Dunn gives Lady Chargers talent, stability on the track

BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS WRITER

Leadership on a high school track team shouldn’t be diminished. For those that think the sport lacks a true “quarterback” because individuals are spread all over the place during practices and meets doesn’t know why the OHS Lady Chargers have been so good.

Jakiara Dunn has stepped into an important leadership role for coach Chris Patton.

She’s always had talent, but now she offers so much more as a senior member of the team.

“With her being around the program now for four years, she’s watched how things go and she’s been on that team that didn’t win a state championship and was so close and also been on that team that did win the state championship,” Patton said.

“She knows what it takes to be successful. She has that ‘it’ factor. You have those kind athletes that may not be the best practice players or runners, but when they hit the meet and lights come on, they hit another level.”

Dunn is on another level when she hits the track. She competes in the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays, and runs in the 400. Patton just smiled when asked what event she is best at.

“She is the best at everything. She is a state qualifier in the 400 last year and it’s looking like she is going to be that qualifier again this year,” Patton said. “That’s a tough race. You have to have what we call sprint endurance. You have to be able to sprint a 400 and deal with hurt. You don’t have a lot of people that want to run that.

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And it takes heart to run it. You see a lot of people just go through the motions to finish the race, but she actually puts forth the effort and competes.”

Patton said Dunn has gotten faster and faster each week. Off the track, all the young girls look up to Dunn, who seems to stand a lot taller than her 5-foot-2 frame.

“She knows how to be successful and you have those younger girls that are looking up to her and they want to do what she’s doing. She’s leading by example,” Patton added.

There is motivation for Dunn to do well in the outdoor season. She wasn’t very pleased with her results during the indoor season.

“I plan on finishing well. You have to think you’re going to win to win,” said Dunn, who has been involved with track for the past five years.

When it comes to leadership, Dunn felt like she knows how to talk to her teammates.

“Sometimes they

don’t want to run the last event. We talk about quitting and talk to them about finishing,” Dunn said. “So far that’s been good.”

Tiara King, who would be competing this spring as a senior, is someone Dunn looks up to. This year is dedicated to King, who was injured before basketball season in a car wreck. King, like Dunn, was a standout sprinter.

“In the locker room, we have hash tag RFT which stands for Run for T. We’re doing this for her,” Dunn said.

The 400 is the hardest race for Dunn, who added that Patton threw in a bunch of girls in the mix to see who could rise up and run it.

“You basically have to sprint the whole way.

In the 4x4, I don’t care which leg I am. In the 4x2, I don’t care which leg I’m in,” Dunn said.

Being a winner now started when middle school track ended and Dunn started to run for Patton. She went from TurN TO DUNN, 20

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Thursday, april 13, 2017

OXFORD CITIZEN

ThursdAy, APril 13, 2017

Trojans salvage series against Chargers

EXTRA BASES

two three weeks ago. The win also snaps a eight game regular season winning streak against New Hope.

It was the one bad inning that derailed an otherwise solid performance by Oxford (21-3 overall, 6-1 in Division 2-5A) across the board where a loss of focus and becoming relaxed did the Chargers in after having beaten New Hope (12-10, 4-3) 10 of the last 11 times overall entering Tuesday.

“That’s what (New Hope has) done for the last three games against Saltillo, Sipsey Valley (Ala.), and then us,” Oxford coach Chris Baughman said about New Hope’s recent hot hitting. “Give them credit, we had them fooled.

Carson (Stinnett) is rolling along and then all of a sudden they start putting good swings on us. It’s like I told our kids, they just beat us and that happens sometimes. We don’t like it, but it happens sometimes. I didn’t think we had the grit and the fight tonight that we pride ourselves on. We’ll learn from it and move on from it and it’ll make us a little bit better.”

Oxford didn’t lose because of their offense where every Charger in the lineup got a base hit in the contest.

Parker Stinnett started the scoring with a solo homer to give Oxford a 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Chargers tacked on two more with a Ben Bianco double

scoring his brothers Sam and Drew Bianco respectively to give Oxford a 3-0 lead.

The Chargers added one more run in the fifth inning on back-to-back two out hits from Carson Stinnett and then a double from Drew Bianco who drove in Stinnett to give the Chargers a 4-0 lead before the disastrous New Hope eight-run fifth inning.

Oxford tried to claw their way back in the sixth inning when Jacob Melendez scored Clark Stovall with a single to center field to close the New Hope lead to 8-5, but Parker Stinnett grounded into a double play to end any further threat.

“I honestly thought the 11 guys that played really played well,” Baughman said regarding his offense and the performance Carson Stinnett and Reed Markle gave on the mound.

“The two errors, they happen. In high school baseball with high school kids, it’s hard when bad things happen to keep your eyes forward and play the next pitch and I didn’t think we all did that. I really didn’t think we fought with that grit we fought with for the last 12 games against them.

I thought we were real flat.

I thought we got real complacent in the dugout. It’s like I said, their guys outplayed our guys, I didn’t think our guys played bad.”

This was the first game since the 2014 playoffs that Oxford lost by at least three runs. Carson Stinnett took the loss on the mound while Carson Forrester received the win for New Hope. Nick Sims earned the save for the Trojans pitching in the seventh inning. Sam Bianco was the only Charger with a multi-hit game for Oxford. Thomas Stevens for New Hope went hitless in a game for the first time this season going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The Chargers 26 game regular season division win streak was snapped with the loss dating back to the 2014 season.

ing out how to run her events.

FROM 19 “When we got to high school, we had to worry hanging out with her about time instead of friends to really figur- place. Coach Patton has

pushed me 100 percent,” Dunn said adding that she felt the Lady Chargers could win a second straight state title. “Last year was exciting win-

ning because we worked so hard. In the summer, we ran nonstop. When we won it last year, I felt such relief.”

When Dunn isn’t in

motion, she likes to sleep. That is only other thing she does. When Dunn has filled out her application for colleges, she puts down “run

track” as a hobby.

“I tried basketball once but I just can’t do physical sports. Running just comes naturally to me,” Dunn said.

BY BEN MIKELL SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS – As much as Oxford has tried to avoid it during the first 24 games of the season, the Chargers jumped out to a lead and then got complacent.

After spotting the Chargers four runs through the first five innings, the New Hope Trojans put up eight runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning thanks to a combination of two leadoff walks, a few New Hope hits, and untimely Oxford errors as the Trojans held on to top the Chargers 8-5 Tuesday night at Trojan Field to salvage the three game regular season series where Oxford won the first

Lafayette

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SOCCER CHAMPS

NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS

RON VAUGHN

The Oxford Park Commission Rebels were crowned champions of the Under 10 League for the spring 2017 season. Members of the team included, in alphabetical order, Billy Atkins, Tucker Bridgers, Dylan Carlisle, Eric Dahl, Hayden Hall, Climmie Manning, William Mayo, Russell Moore, Joshua Parker, Marcos Quezada Jr., Will Sullivan and Graham Vaughn. The team was coached by Brad Mayo and Joey Vaughn.

All-Citizen FROM 17

LAFAYETTE

Cory Williams came off the football field, where he helped lead the Commodores to a state title in football. The 6-foot-1 Williams played in important role inside for coach John Sherman.

“What Cory brought was toughness, rebounding and defense, to our team,” added Sherman. “He kind of anchored the middle.

He’s undersized but he

Lafayette FROM 17

11 straight wins before suffering their first loss at the hands of New Albany.

Two games after suffering their first loss, it was a game ironically in their archrival’s gym that gave Lafayette the mental edge that would carry with them the rest of the season.

“All of them,” Sutton joked when asked which game was most memorable. “I would say in particular a memorable game would be Horn Lake. We had gone to Oxford for (the O-Town Showdown) there. In the previous two seasons, we had lost to (Horn Lake) by 20-plus points each time. We won the game off a three-point buzzer-beater by our

brought a lot of grit and a lot of fight. Every time out, every game, he just gave our team 100 percent. He was somebody who was better facing the basket from out on the perimeter on offense. On defense, he played down low and got tough rebounds. He showed a lot of leadership with the way he played. He showed a lot of loyalty and leadership to the program after going through some tough times.”

Buford moved in to the district from California, but

he turned out to be a quick study and a valued addition.

“He has a good knowledge of the game and he was pretty consistent with his stats across the board,” Sherman said. “He would get some offensive rebounds and was a good assist man. He could make shots. It was his first time to really play in high school. It took him a little while to get into the flow of that, but as the season went, he was just a solid, consistent player.”

main go-to girl at the time Shaquilla Isom. That was the game and that was the shot that made us go ‘hmmm, you know we are pretty good’. We got over the mental hump.”

In the game against Horn Lake, it was a back-andforth affair as the game was a defensive struggle for both teams that averaged around 60 points per game. Horn Lake held a slim lead at the end of each quarter. As Sutton eluded to, Isom hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat the Lady Eagles 48-47 in the OHS gym. Horn Lake finished 30-3 on the season en route to winning the 6A state championship, the first year the MHSAA went to six classifications. Horn Lake eventually lost to 4A state champion Raymond at the short-lived Grand

Slam tournament which was a tournament involving the six state champions for one overall state champion.

Lafayette proceeded to defeat Oxford in their largest margin of victory in years 59-44 in their only meeting of the season. The Lady Commodores finished 29-3 on the season, losing twice to eventual 4A runner-up New Albany before being eliminated

by Raymond 71-64 in the 4A semifinals. Other notable wins included winning at New Hope 54-43, over North Panola 64-53 to win their first Division tournament championship in many years, and defeating Humphreys County 6962 to ensure their ticket to Mississippi Coliseum for the state tournament in Jackson.

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Nominations are now being accepted for Team of the Year and Player of the Year in the following Sports: • Girls and Boys Basketball • Girls and Boys Bowling • Girls and Boys Soccer • Archery • Girls and Boys Track

• Girls and Boys Tennis • Girls and Boys Golf • Girls and Boys Powerlifting • Softball • Baseball

Also accepting nominations for

Outstanding Scholar-Athletes from Northeast Mississippi's High Schools

Two Scholar-Athlete Winners Will Receive Scholarships Nominations accepted at:

www.djournal.com/hs-spring-sports ENTRY DEADLINE IS MAY 1, 2017.

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