Profile 2017 by Natchez Democrat

P R O F I L E

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FORGING AHEAD for the future of our community

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N AT C H E Z D E M O C R AT

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orging ahead. With springtime in Natchez, the intoxicating aroma of our classic flora — our jasmine, magnolia, and gardenia — begins to fill the air. The air is also charged with energy! Energy for the future of our town. As our elected officials and community leaders pursue goals for education, recreation, downtown development, industrial recruitment, and job creation, our hospitality and tourism industry welcomes vacationers and conventioneers from around the globe. People have been drawn to Natchez from ancient times to today because we have the greatest view of the greatest river in the world. We are proud of our Native American story — The Nachee — from whom we derive our town’s name. We are proud of our African-American heritage, which encompasses the struggles and triumphs of people whose ancestors were force brought to America more than 300 years ago help build our great country. We are proud of our beautiful town, 200 feet above the river, which evidences our French, English, and Spanish roots and the many contributions of immigrants to the diverse history of our town. In 2016, we celebrated our 300th anniversary as the oldest continuous European settlement on the Mississippi River. Now, in 2017, we salute Mississippi’s Bicentennial. In doing so, we come together as one people, as one community, building on our past to create our future. Profile, published annually by The Natchez Democrat, is about the people of Natchez — who we are and who we plan to be. Enjoy the read, and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Mayor. Sincerely,

Darryl V. Grennell, Mayor of Natchez

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t takes a lot of energy to forge steel. Before the 12th century molding and shaping steel was done using hammers wielded by hand. Brute arm strength was used to pound the material into shapes used in everything from horseshoes to handmade tools to structural building components. Several centuries later, steel is forged with hammers powered by compressed air, electricity and hydraulics. Like most everything in our lives, technology has made the forging process safer, more efficient and cost effective. The interesting thing about forging steel is that pounding the material does not merely change its shape. Forging steel makes the material stronger. The hammering reorders the molecules in such a way that the material is transformed. After a momentous celebration of our community’s rich and diverse history during last year’s tricentennial celebration, we at The Natchez Democrat have decided to look ahead. Profile 2017 focuses on our community, the lessons we have learned from our past that can be put to use today for the future. Like forging steel, our future is the result of hard work and all that we have to offer our community. Our combined contributions make us stronger together than we would be as individuals. On the following pages, you will discover lessons gleaned from the people, places and things that make up the vibrant and diverse community we are today. From a story about local senior citizens and their advice for living long, successful lives to a feature about three women who left the Miss-Lou seeking a bright future only to discover what they were looking for was in their towns of their childhood, our staff has scoured the community looking for stories that demonstrate what makes our area so special. We hope this edition of Profile — the newspaper’s biggest annual project — can help show our community what we look like in 2017, so we can continue to celebrate our past with confidence in the future. Our staff began working months ago to bring you the stories, photos and advertisements in this edition of Profile. We are never surprised at the amazing stories we find in our community, but always delighted to share them with you — our readers. We hope you will spend some time in the coming days, weeks and months reading through each page in this special edition and realizing just how far our community has come and how those in our community are working to push it even further. And we hope to be there along with you every step of the way. BEN HILLYER is the news editor of The Natchez Democrat.

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Advertising index

Future leaders being made with pieces of rope and bottles of hand sanitizer Local senior citizens reveal their longevity secrets

Local car collectors park their passions in old Natchez auto dealership How has the high school experience changed? Lung transplant gives local veteran new perspective

Local Habitat for Humanity chapter celebrates 25 years of building community Local ministers say church’s message is critical in a constantly changing world

Work is just beginning for some local residents after the sun goes down How has the Internet, computers changed local law enforcement?

Local women discover new lives in communities where they grew up Local coaches enjoy mentoring youth at their alma maters Miss-Lou veterans offer thoughts about patriotism in nation and community

Thank you to all the businesses that helped make Profile 2017 possible

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S NOTE:

PROFILE 2017

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

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Troop 157 Boy Scout Josh Latham looks back to see how to tie a knot during one of his scout meetings at First Presbyterian Church in Natchez. Dunham is a member of Boy Scout Troop 157. On facing page at right, Troop 3749 Girl Scout McKenzie Owens gives a thumbs up as part of the Girl Scout law.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

PREPARED STORY BY REED DESALVO PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER

uture leaders of the Miss-Lou are being made with pieces of rope and bottles of hand sanitizer. Learning how to tie a knot or about the importance of table manners and hygiene might seem old-fashioned in a world of virtual reality and video games. But local Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders agree such lessons prepare young boys and girls for the future. Scouting, they say, teaches life lessons of success and survival.

14 PROFILE 2017

Troop 157 Boy Scouts, from left, Christopher Johnson, Josh Latham, assistant scoutmaster Robert Hargon, John Chauvin, Kevonte Crawford and David Anders learn how to tie knots at the First Presbyterian Church in Natchez.

Boy Scouts

Jim Hargon sat at a rectangular-shaped table with a single piece of rope and carefully broke down the differences in a set of knots. More than 20 sets of eyes from Troop 157 stared back at the scoutmaster, mirroring Hargon’s moves with their own pieces of rope. Boy Scout Troop 157 got its start in August 2015, and has steadily grown from seven original members to several dozen over the past 18 months. In addition to tying knots, the boys have learned how to fish, build a camping shelter and fend for themselves in the outdoors. “We prepare young men for life,” Hargon said. “Our biggest thing is for them to make moral and ethical choices throughout life. That’s what we really focus on.” Cullen Mophett, who has been a Boy Scout for the past decade, echoed Hargon’s sentiments. “You get to learn new things and experience new adventures,” the 15 year old said. “You can meet people across the world, across the United States; you can meet new friends at camp, and you get to learn some things along the way.” Mophett said key knowledge he has absorbed through the years includes the use of first-aid and scouting heritage among other things. “I’ve always liked it, there’s so many new

experiences that you don’t get to learn in school,” Mophett said. “You can go on camping trips, and you can always find the best in a camping trip (no matter the weather conditions). You can also visit NASA.” Hargon has served as a troop leader since 2005 and said seeing the boys grow makes the time he volunteers worthwhile. “It’s really rewarding when you see the look on their face just from catching a bream,” he said. “They can’t believe that there is something in the water they can catch and eat, and that’s what we do. We teach them how to catch (the fish), clean it and eat it.” The troop doesn’t ignore new technology, however. “They’re using their phone for a scout handbook, and it’s not as bad as you would think,” Hargon said. “They’re not playing games on their phones; they’re actually using them.” While the scouts are learning basic lessons of survival, they are also learning the importance of brotherhood — relying on each other for support and fellowship, Hargon said. “We don’t leave anybody behind,” he said. “We’re going to make sure everyone progresses, hopefully at the same pace. We’re not going to penalize someone for advancing quickly, but we’re making sure as they are advancing that they’re going back and showing some of these kids how they advanced so fast.”

At top, Boy Scout scoutmaster Jim Hargon explains how to tie a knot. At bottom, Kevonte Crawford carefully follows Hargon’s intructions.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

16 PROFILE 2017

Girls Couts Terriona Calvin, Jayla Turner, Zaniyah Washington and Kameryn Holden use cellphones as part of a lesson during a recent Girls Scout meeting at the Natchez Housing Authority Community Center on St. Catherine Street. Below, Naomi Green recites the Girl Scout promise to start the meeting.

Girl Scouts

Acacia Claiborne had always dreamt about being a Girl Scout. But due to conflicting circumstances, Claiborne was never afforded the opportunity, until now. Now a mother, Claibor ne has seized the opportunity to support her daughter, Jayden McGee, 11, in her venture as a Girl Scout. “Once she got of age, I wanted to put her in a Girl Scout troop,” Claiborne said. “I wanted to be a leader and started my own troop, and it was because of her.” Claibor ne has served as the leader for Troop 3749 the past two years. The new troop leader said the biggest reward she has taken from her time is that of seeing the students. “A lot of the parents were concer ned with how shy the girls were,” Claiborne said. “But most of the girls now, they’ve opened up and are talking and dancing.” Seven-year-old Zaniyah Washington said she has learned plenty of things under Claiborne’s tutelage, including proper manners

and how to serve society at her best. “I’ve learned you should never put your elbows on the table, because you might make a mess,” Washington said. “(Claiborne) is fun and talks to us a lot.” Claiborne teaches her students about bullying, hygiene, being courteous to others and forming a sisterhood. She puts her troop through a different lesson every few weeks. Claibor ne said she wants to spend more time getting her squad involved in the community, which this year has included a drive to provide hand sanitizer and tissues for all district classrooms. “Last year we did a lot of fun stuff,” she said. “This year, we wanted to get involved in the community a lot more.” Additionally, the troop participated in Clean Up Mississippi Day, where the troop walked from the Forks of the Road to the bluff in an effort to clean downtown. “It’s important to help people because it’s good,” Washington said.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

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18 PROFILE 2017

FOREVER

Local blues musician YZ Ealey, left, gives two pieces of advice to youngpeople. The first is to get an education and the second ios to treat people with respect. Joan StockstillGordon, right, says her key to longevity is staying positive and not letting anything get her down.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

YOUNG

STORY BY LYNDY BERRYHILL PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER

Local seniors reveal their longevity secrets

ressed in a floral blazer, white turtleneck with a hot-pink ascot at the base of her neck, Joan Stockstill-Gordon’s jewelry jingles as she walks down the street. “I’ve always dressed well,” she says. “I love pretty clothes.” A $5 bill is pinned to her blazer’s lapel for her birthday. “I was born right after Pearl Harbor,” she says when asked about her age. But with a coy smile, the Natchez resident admits she turned 83 in December. She has outlived all of her older relatives and her only daughter. She has found no fountain of youth or prescribed to a trendy anti-aging regime. Instead, she attributes her long life to one key characteristic of her outlook on life — positivity. “I never let anything get me down,” she said. Stockstill-Gordon and other Natchez residents say the fountain of youth is not a fountain at all. They say the golden rule and a love of Joan learning keeps many octogenarians Stockstill-Gordon alive past the 78-year age expectancy. Natchez senior Stockstill-Gordon married Ralph Stockstill when she was 17. Soon after, she earned a degree from Louisiana State University in business administration. Stockstill-Gordon said she had a great deal of help from her family, particularly her grandfather. It was a challenge, however, to be a young wife in college, with a household to run, a husband to take care for and grades to keep up. She knows it was more difficult for others. Now, she enjoys the simple things. After spending more than 30 years as an accountant, owning and operating a real-estate business, Stockstill-Gordon said she likes to spend her evenings at home. She is enthralled with crime drama television. She watches the 42-minute mysteries unfold as she crochets gifts for her only son. At her feet, her new gray kitten, Sweet Pea, plays with the yarn she is crafting. “I had a real good life, but I think you make your life,”

“I never let anything get me down.”

Laura Jones says her life of moderation has helped her live a long, happy life.

20 PROFILE 2017

said. “I regret it so much. … That’s why I put the pressure on young people to get theirs.” Ealey said he tells young folks two pieces of advice, the Y.Z. Ealey’s music education first of which is to get For others, such as all the education posY.Z. Ealey, 79, formal sible. education is a missed The shine on his boat, a regret he has black cowboy boots harbored since his elmatches the glint in ementary days. One of his brown eyes. He 11 children, his mother, has worked at more Lucinda Barnes Ealey, than a dozen skilledwas a teacher in Wilkinlabor jobs, including son County. She made a job at the former her son promise to get Armstrong Tire and an education, but Ealey YZ Ealey Rubber plant opernever fulfilled his mothNatchez senior ated where the abaner’s dream. doned Titan Tire facEaley said he has tory stands on Kelly spent a lifetime learning the value of education through the Avenue. He worked with the rubber absence of a high-school diploma. He from its liquid stage to assembling the finished product. made it to the 10th grade. “It’s hard to describe the smell,” Eal“Being a country boy and the times being what they were, I dropped out ey said of the hot, black sap-like mixof school to join the military,” Ealey ture. “It was endurable.”

she said. “I would advise children not to get married that young. Go ahead and get your education.”

“I’m a man that loves people, and I think the love of people has kept me around.”

YZ Ealey

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Ealey’s lack of schooling never kept a pill bottle. Noble grew up like a kudzu vine on him from writing his own songs. Ealey said he has not traveled much, but her uncle’s plantation, climbing to where he has been, he took his music new heights, but never far from her with him. He has traveled from Nat- roots. From the time she could hold chez to Chicago to Los Angeles playing a pail until she was a teenager, she fed the banty hens outthe blues with fellow artists. side her house, collectHe played several times ing their small brown with Oakland musician Wileggs. She picked cotlie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton with her mother in ton, who wrote “Hound the Wilkinson County Dog.” Elvis Presley would heat. later record the song. Ealey “It was rough,” Nostill plays blues and country Lillian C. Noble ble said. “But, I didn’t on some Friday nights. have another choice.” Ealey’s second bit of adNatchez senior It was not until she vice for living is treating moved closer to Natothers with respect. chez that she experi“I’m a man that loves peoenced the freedom for ple, and I think the love of people has kept me around,” Ealey which she was looking. She wanted to join a church in Wilkinson County, but said. her uncle would not let her. Later, she joined the St. Peter’s Baptist Church. Lillian C. Noble Lillian C. Noble says the secret to She was baptized in a pond by the loher 86 years is embracing an inner cal reverend. Noble said her uncle wanted her to toughness that will never be found in

“Be kind and

be obedient”

Lillian C. Noble

22 PROFILE 2017

can’t make it here being mean.” Proby said she has never met someone about whom she could not say something nice. One day, a woman gave her a scarf. Although the woman remains a stranger to Proby, it did not stop her from showing appreciation. “God bless you and thank you,” Proby said as they parted ways. The woman went home and cried. The next time she saw Proby, she gave Willie Mae Proby: Kindness her nine pairs of stockis key ings, three hats, a “thank Willie Mae Proby, 82, Willie Mae Proby you” and a tight hug. She wants to leave her 21 Natchez senior told Proby it had been too grandchildren a legacy long since anyone had of kindness, more than asked God to bless her anything. She said kindness and the “good Lord” are the two for anything. Now Proby does not leave a room things keeping her alive. “Be respectful and listen,” Proby said without telling someone “God bless clutching her purse on her lap. “I’m you and thank you.” “All I said was something nice. That thankful I have made it this far, but you

stay, so he would not have to pay her or her mother to work. “He wanted me to stay and be his slave, but I wasn’t having it,” Noble said. Though her time working for her uncle as a child was difficult, she has not let it make her bitter toward others, a bitterness she says would have otherwise aged her heart. “Be kind and obedient,” Noble said

“I’m thankful I have made it this far, but you can’t make it here being mean.”

Willie Mae Proby

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

es.” Her favorite memory is helping others. Jones would stand near her mother in the kitchen, shaking a Mason jar until Laura Jones: Life in moderation is longer the cream turned solid. If Living without moderation her mother needed more, is no way to live, if you want Jones would stand over a to live as long as 79-year-old brown ceramic containLaura Jones. er, and plunge the churn “(People) have to care of until the cream was thick themselves,” Jones said. enough to slice. “You can’t just stay out in Jones would sing a song the street all night and think she made up about a little you are going to get up and boy waiting for butter at go to work.” the gate. Jones spent her life caring “I always loved helpfor others, cooking, cleaning, ing her do things,” Jones watching children and later said. taking care of the elderly. She Laura Jones When the butter was uses a walker that helps her Natchez senior done, her mother would travel around the city and cook. Sweetbread, cornvisit with people. More than bread and teacakes were a decade past the age of the people for whom she used to work, she the fruits of Jones’ labor. “I know other people can make still cooks and cleans for herself. “I started ironing when I was proba- teacakes and can make them good, but bly 6 years old,” Jones said. “My mama to me, I thought she could make the best started me ironing people’s pillowcas- teacakes in the world,” Jones said.

went a long way with her. … You don’t know what a person needs in life,” Proby said.

“You can’t just stay out in the street all night

and think you are going to get up and go to work.”

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26 PROFILE 2017

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Behind the wheels

Local car collectors park their passions in old auto dealership

nside the old downtown Ford dealership building on Canal Street sit pieces of automotive history. Long gone are the Mustangs and Fairmonts. A Rolls Royce, a Triumph, an Austin-Healey and a couple of Porsches now occupy the spaces in the garage behind the former showroom. Local businessman Cappy Stahlman owns the space and rents it out to friends Terry Trovato, Marc Doyle and Richard Branyan, who share his passion for vehicles. “It used to be nothing but American and English cars, but then Marc came along and ruined that with his German cars,” Stahlman said, laughing. “But I couldn’t say no to his Porsches.” “I always try to raise the bar,” Doyle quipped. The owner of the former Stahlman’s hardware and lumber store, Stahlman bought the old dealership building in the late 80s. Once upon a time, the building was Bluff City Motors. Now, the building is home to Pig Out Inn and the Natchez Medicaid office. Tucked behind the offices and restaurant in the old service department bays sits a world of driving excitement for Stahlman and the three car owners.

Silver Wraith touring saloon from his father Larry in 2002. In that time, the younger Branyan has almost doubled the mileage on the car, participating in various regional shows and events. Branyan’s father purchased and had the vehicle restored in 1974. His Rolls Royce is one of 35 saloons that were produced by the car builder. The vehicle was built for people of means in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1976, the car placed second in the most elegant car category at the English National Motor Show. The car was featured in 1977 in one other big show, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, an event during which the cars were paraded in a procession in front of Queen Elizabeth II, who waved as the vehicles passed by. When the Branyans came back to the U.S. in 1987, the car came with them, and Branyan said the Rolls mostly sat — though it received regular maintenance — until he inherited it in 2002. “They do better if they are driven,” Branyan said. “If you let it sit too long, you will find you need to fix something. “So what did I do? I have driven it.” Branyan took it to the nationals in 2009, 2012 and in 2015, when the car finally won first in its class. Branyan said he has enjoyed numerous long-distance trips in the car. He drove it to

STORY BY CAIN MADDEN PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER

The youngest with the oldest

Branyan inherited his 1949 Rolls Royce

Terry Trovato and Cappy Stahlman stand next to Stahlman’s Super Sport Roadster and in front of Trovato’s collection of British cars. When not on the street, the cars are parked in Stahlman’s garage.

28 PROFILE 2017

Richard Branyan stands next to his Rolls Royce Silver Wraith touring saloon, and Marc Doyle stands with his Porsche 2015 Cayman S. Both park their cars in the old Bluff City Motors garage on Canal Street. At right, below, Branyan exits the garage as he takes the Rolls Royce for an afternoon road trip. New Orleans 2009 and to Louisville, Ky., in 2012. “It likes its outings,” Branyan said. “Of course, sometimes I am miserable with no electric windows and no air conditioning. Coming back from Louisville it was 106 degrees outside and 140 inside.” With a top speed of approximately 76 going downhill with the wind prodding it along, Branyan said the Rolls could function on a highway with modern traffic, though it will not be the fastest vehicle. “At 65, it is happy,” Branyan said. “It is very civilized going down (Interstate) 55 or 10.” Branyan said if the vehicle had been built a generation later, he probably would have sold it by now. The mechanics are simple enough that he has been able to understand how to fix most of the problems. “Pretty much if nothing major is wrong, I can get it moving again,” Bran-

yan said. “I sort of learned out of necessity. The Rolls Royce place charges $1,500 just to tell you what’s wrong.” Branyan said he could get it moving if he is paying attention to the signs. One time, he took the car on a trip to Biloxi with one of the two warning lights flashing. “I won’t be doing that again,” Branyan said, laughing. “It was the only time the car failed to proceed, but Cappy rescued me. “Overall, it has been a fun car. And for a hobby, it is relatively inexpensive. I’ve had some big repairs over the years, but I’d say I’ve averaged spending about $1,000 a year, which is cheap for a hobby.”

English sportsters

At the other end of Stahlman’s garage sit Trovato’s two British sports cars — a 1959 Triumph TR3A and a 1960 Austin-Healey 3000. Built for speed, Triumphs originally

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30 PROFILE 2017

Marc Doyle sits behind the wheel of his 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera, one of two cars made by the German automaker that he stores in the old Bluff City Motors garage. When he is not driving the cars in and around Natchez, Doyle likes to race them on tracks in the Birmingham, Ala., and Atlanta area. retailed for approximately $2,600 and were perfect for college students looking for a fast ride on the back roads, Trovato said. These days, his British green car is treated with a bit more care, he said. Trovato said the cars were not built to last with a lot of abuse, but his car is perfect for picnic outings with his wife on the Natchez Trace. “I take it out every week on the Trace,” Trovato said. “The worst thing you can do is let them sit, because everything that can go wrong will start happening.” The Triumph is a beautiful car to look at, Trovato said, but he cautions that the car’s systems can be quirky. “It has a terrible electric system,” Trovato said. “You can be driving at night, and the lights will decide to go out. Or you can be driving during the day, and the system might catch on fire.” Trovato said electrical issues in sports cars were ironed out in the 1960s and 1970s when Japanese vehicle manufacturers entered the affordable sports car market. The Austin-Healey is an vehicle actually from Trovato’s past. When he was in college at the University of Kentucky in the 1960s, a friend had the car and kept it until he died. Trovato said he called his friend’s wife and learned she sold the vehicle in auction. In 2000, he was able to find it, but the car was in pieces. By

2002, he had the vehicle rebuilt and road-worthy. Trovato said he could be seen driving both of the vehicles around Natchez “For cars like these, you buy them for two reasons,” Trovato said. “Either you had one and want to relive the glory days, or you wanted one but for whatever reason were not able to buy it.” Owning and driving the two sports cars has been a wonderful experience, Trovato said. “They are both peppy, and they are both a lot of fun,” Trovato said.

German engineering

Fun for Doyle is German-made. Doyle owns two Porsches, a 1987 911 Carrera and a 2015 Cayman S. “In the morning, I can take this 30-year-old car out and marvel at the engineering quality of the vehicle and what a fantastic and enjoyable experience driving it is,” Doyle said. “In the afternoon, I can take out the newer model, which is a joy to drive, and see how much Porsche engineering has advanced over the years.” Having pushed both cars beyond 120 miles per hour, Doyle said the driving experience is more fun than the law allows on the roadways. Fortunately, Doyle said, he occasionally gets to test the limits of the vehicles on tracks in Birmingham, Ala., and Atlanta. Doyle has reached 135 miles per hour in the

Cayman. With the Carrera, he has topped out at 125 miles per hour on the Road Atlanta track. Doyle said he does not get to race as often as he would like, but racing is something he has been doing as an amateur since he was a teenager. “I like this type of competition,” Doyle said. “You are pitting yourself against others, and to some degree, you are pitting your car and its strengths against other cars. “And like all great recreational activities, when you are racing, you are not thinking about the things that are bothering you like business, what’s going on in this world. It’s you and the track. You are lost in speed.” Doyle said he doesn’t prefer racing one Porsche over the other. “It’s like with my twins — which I do happen to have — each are my favorite,” Doyle said. Doyle said he ended up interested in Porsches when he was in his late teens. His real passion for cars, started a few years earlier when he was 14. At the time, he bought a used Ford sedan and spent the next two years working on it in his spare time. In high school, he came into contact with the Porsche 365, a car that was in production from 1948 to 1965. “They were raced by the amateurs in high school,” Doyle said. “From the moment I saw, heard and watched how they moved, I fell in love.”

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NOT YOUR PARENTS’ HIGH SCHOOL T ANY MORE STORY BY CAIN MADDEN PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER

he buildings and even some faces re remain the same, but one thing is for sure — the high school experience has changed over the past 30 years. Four parents who once walked the same school halls and ultimately gradu graduated from the same schools their children now attend say the halls may be the same, but life at local high schools is not.

An Apple a Day

When Frank Guedon was in high school at ACCS, he said it seemed like all of the teach teachers were in their 50s and 60s, and while they could be kind, they were strict and would not tolerate much besides learning. Guedon

graduated from ACCS in 1982. “It seems like it’s a little bit of a different relationship now,” he said. “A lot of the teachers are in their 20s, and it is almost like teachers and students are friends.” Frank’s daughter, Kaci, said her teachers are more laid back, and she follows them on Instagram and is Facebook friends with many. “We see what they are doing with their lives and we are more friendly,” the ACCS junior said. “And I go to school with a lot of their kids, so I have spent the night at their house before.” Frank said when he was in school, the children of teachers would actively hide

Frank Guedon, left, graduated from Adams County Christian School in 1982. His daughter Kaci is a junior at ACCS this year.

34 PROFILE 2017

that fact, and he had no idea what any did in their lives. “There was a level of separation,” he said. Katrenia McNeal said she could only remember one teacher even smiling at students; the others had poker faces. McNeal was in the first class to spend all four years at Natchez High School after North Natchez and South Adams schools combined. “(The teachers) were not trying to be your friends,” McNeal said. “We knew they cared about us, but they made sure we stayed on task.” McNeal’s daughter Kirdis says the teachers and students at the Natchez Early College Academy are

close. Clark said NECA is isolated from other students on the Natchez High School campus. “We have the nicest teachers on campus,” she said. “They speak to everyone and know everyone.” McNeal said she thinks the “nice teacher” tactic works with some students, but for others, it might not work as well. “Lots of kids are clever and would take advantage of the niceness,” McNeal said. “They would take the kindness for a weakness. “But there are other students who are searching for attention, and in some cases, I think the niceness would help.” Trinity Episcopal Day School par-

ent Jim Smith said he does not believe the teachers at the school have changed much. Smith graduated from Trinity in 1979, and his daughter McKenzie is now a senior at his alma mater. “Like now, a lot of the teachers were moms of my classmates,” Jim said. “They were smart, like they are today, and have masters and doctorates.” Overall, Jim said the teachers are a little friendlier with students today, and they cannot send a student to be paddled. “You couldn’t walk into the teacher’s lounge — one because you couldn’t breathe if you did,” he said, laughing about teachers smoking in

the lounge. Jim said a line existed that Trinity teachers would not cross. McKenzie said teachers today still have a line. “They are nice, but they are still strict,” she said. “You can go to your teachers with problems, but they will not put up with any backtalk.” Jim said he could only recall knowing the first names of a few of his teachers, including Clyde Adams, mostly because Adams’ name is on the school gym. “I think Trinity is different from some of the other schools and was then because it is small,” he said. “We are more like a family. Teachers see the kids all the way through

Kirdis Clark is a senior at Natchez Early College Academy. Her mother Katrenia is a 1994 graduate of Natchez High School. Both of them played on state championship teams.

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36 PROFILE 2017

school, from elementary up.” Vidalia High School parent Stephen Rodgers said the world is a different place now, and parents will not allow teachers or administrators to discipline children in the same way. In some ways, he says the modern world has produced a better system. Stephen’s son Cameron is a junior at the same school he graduated from in 1984. “It seems like now the whole system makes it easier to learn and excel,” Stephen said. “A lot of the people running the system now went through the system, and they took the good things they went through and have made them better.” Though he admits at Vidalia the

teacher-student dynamic is different. “I would not say the teachers were trying to be our friends,” Stephen said. “I think they cared what happened to us — that was their job — we just didn’t know it.” Stephen said he could not recall ever knowing a teacher’s first name, while Cameron said he knows all of his teachers’ first names. “They have all been really helpful,” Cameron said. “I think at Vidalia it can be a little weird because we have a lot of Teach for America teachers, and they are only four or five years older than us. “But I think that’s good because they get how we learn. They are basically the same age as us.”

Stephen said he believes the change in teacher behavior is because the teachers do not have to play the role of disciplinarian as much — that’s mostly handled by school resource officers and the administrators. “In a way, I think it provides for more structure,” he said. “I think it makes it easier to focus on what you are actually there for — learning.”

Indistinguishable from magic

If you had told Frank Guedon back in the early 1980s that everything you needed for a report would be at your fingertips, he might have called you a wizard. He recalls pulling out encyclopedia

Jim Smith graduate from Trinity Episcopal Day School in 1979. His daughter McKenzie is a senior at Trinity .

after encyclopedia to maybe find a few paragraphs on his topic. “You had to spend hours searching,” he said. “Most of the work was in the research.” His daughter Kaci said getting information for reports is pretty easy now. Homework is also so light that she said she usually has it done before she gets home from school. At ACCS, the school has two computer labs, a teacher has a computer in every room, and most classrooms have Smartboards. “Teachers still lecture, but they do show videos,” she said. “A lot of the work is online. Our math homework is all online through MathXL, which is what they use in college.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

38 PROFILE 2017

“In history we keep up with current events on TV so everyone knows what’s going on in the world.” Though technology has changed a lot since the 1990s, Katrenia McNeal said she thinks Natchez High made up for that by offering more vocational technical style classes. “Not every student is going to go to college,” she said. “We had classes that would prepare you for the workplace, and they were mandatory for us. “We also had classes like home-economics that would prepare you for the real world.” With NECA specifically, though,

McNeal said she likes that the district is helping her daughter earn college credits. Kirdis Clark, said future NECA classes will be able to graduate with an associate degree, but still, she is happy to enter college with her freshman year class load already complete. “When they told me about the longterm benefits of NECA, I knew I wanted to join,” Clark said. “I thought it would be good to take a few college classes at Natchez High.” In 1979, the technology at Trinity was a slide rule for trigonometry and typewriters for the typing class, Jim Smith said.

“I never saw a computer until I went to college at Baylor (University),” he said. “Computers were in their infancy back then.” Jim’s daughter McKenzie said Trinity has a computer lab and also computers for use in the library. “I can’t imagine not having a Smartboard,” she said. “We use it all the time.” McKenzie said for quizzes, the teachers could also utilize technology. “In history, the teacher can make quizzes, and we can get it on a (smartphone or tablet) app,” McKenzie said. “We can see the question and answer

Cameron Rodgers is a junior at Vidalia High School, the same school his dad, Stephen Rodgers, graduated from in 1984.

it right there on our phones.” Jim said the slide rule, which his daughter said she had never heard of, was basically it for technology. “It was a triangle, and you could slide it around and get different calculations,” he said. McKenzie said like in her father’s day, Trinity students are still required to check out books from the library for research. But she said with the Internet and reliable websites, the research part is fairly easy. The struggle, McKenzie said, is making sure the information you find is relevant and accurate because so much information is online.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

“There are some sites we cannot use, such as Wikipedia because it doesn’t always have solid information,” McKenzie said. Stephen Rodgers said the year he graduated at Vidalia High, he believes the library acquired two old IBM-style computers. “I can’t remember if they were tied into the curriculum or if they were just there for students to get familiar with them,” he said. Now, his son Cameron Rodgers said, the school has three computer labs and some classes are offered online. Like Clark, Cameron has been able to take college courses, though he has been taking them online instead of at Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez campus. Cameron expects to graduate high school and have his freshman college courses completed. And the school still has encyclopedias, but they are from 2008, Cameron said. Stephen said the encyclopedias are so old because the books are no longer needed since students can pull out their phones and access whatever information they want. “If you wanted to know about Antarctica, you had to go to the library, find the encyclopedia, and sit there and read until you find some information,” Stephen said. “Now

you get so much information most of the work is sifting through it all and determining what you can use and what is not real.”

Saved by the Bell

For Frank Guedon, socialization was the most important part of high school. While Frank said he believes students are a little less cliquish than they used to be, going through school is the best way to learn how to deal with conflicts in a relatively safe environment. “My daughter is a cheerleader, and that can come with drama,” he said. “But the only way to learn how to socialize and get along is to go through it and have that drama. “You’ve got an entire support system around you that can help you learn how to cope and you are around kids, for the most part, who you’ve gone to school with since you were little. If you wait until you are out in the real world to experience conflict, it’s going to be a lot harder to deal with.” Kaci Guedon said she feels like ACCS still has small cliques, but at the same time, she also admits it is not that difficult to talk to any of the other students. Through playing sports, Kaci said she has been able to connect with people she may have otherwise avoided.

One similar experience Kaci shared with her father’s high school experience is through sports. As sports taught him how to work hard for what he wanted, Kaci said the same applies to her. “You do learn to work hard,” she said. “You have to get passed the ‘I can’t do this’ and just do it. If a coach tells you to run, you can’t stop or you will be sitting on the bench the next game.” While Katrenia McNeal said she felt like she could talk to anyone, Natchez High School was cliquish. The athletes were in one spot, the band people another and the comic book people were somewhere else. Kirdis Clark said cliques still exist, but they are not as noticeable, particularly at NECA where the students have a similar mindset. “The majority of us have jobs, are in multiple clubs and play sports,” Kirdis said. “There are cool people at Natchez High, but I prefer the people at NECA.” Both mother and daughter played for the Lady Bulldogs, and both were champions. Katrenia’s Bulldogs won the state title in 1993, and Kirdis’ teams brought home titles in 2014 and 2015. “It was nice for us to win, especially since our football team has gone down so much,” Kirdis said. “People

treated us kind of like celebrities.” Natchez itself was different back when Katrenia was in school, she said. She said now children are in a rush to get out of Natchez, and that was not always the case. “Natchez was on the top back then,” Katrenia said. “Natchez was the place to be and you were happy to be from Natchez. We’ve got to start instilling some sort of pride about Natchez in the youth.” With the technology advances, Jim Smith said his concern about this generation is how they interact faceto-face. His daughter McKenzie Smith is outgoing, Jim said, but he has met some people who seem to struggle with human interaction and he worries that technology is a cause. McKenzie said she has gotten plenty of socialization at Trinity through sports and other school activities. The two-time No. 2 tennis doubles state champ who hopes to three-peat said sports have been great. “It’s good to hang out with classmates outside of school,” she said. McKenzie said the school is like a big family — she can name almost everyone at the school from elementary up. And for post-prom and posthomecoming parties, the whole high school is invited.

40 PROFILE 2017

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42 PROFILE 2017

BREATH of NEW LIFE

Natchez veteran grateful for lung transplant

hen Donnie Verucchi left the combat jungles of Vietnam in 1970, he didn’t realize his greatest fears and challenges still lie ahead some 46 years later. These days, Verucchi wears a surgical mask not to protect others from him, but to protect himself from others. Last year, the 68-year-old veteran underwent a lung transplant, a life-saving operation he believes originated from his exposure to Agent Orange, a powerful chemical defoliant used during the Vietnam conflict. “I thought that was the best thing in the world because when we went on a search and destroy and they had sprayed Agent Orange, (they) couldn’t hide behind anything,” Verucchi said. While he was growing up in Natchez, the war was far from Verucchi’s mind. The eldest of the five children of Augustine and Betty Verucchi, he was a typical country boy, interested in farming, hunting, fishing and working. “At that time in high school, I really didn’t worry about the war,” he said. Verucchi graduated from Natchez High School in 1966, spent a year at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson before working for International Paper in Natchez, where his father worked. Then in 1958, Verruchi’s life changed forever. “My wife (Carolyn) got the draft letter,” he said. “She came to IP to pick me up. I came walking out to the car and I’m thinking we’ve got a death in the family. … She’s crying. … She was holding that draft letter. It was a real sad day.” Verucchi said he then got very interested

PHOTOS & STORY BY G. MARK LAFRANCIS in the war, watching everything and reading everything he could concerning events in the southeast Asia. “My wife was upset, of course, and my mom, she was really hurt by it and Dad, you could see it in his face,” Verucchi said. “But I said ‘I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. I’m called into the service, and I’ve got to go.’” By January 1969, Verucchi, along with other draftees, arrived in Vietnam as replacements for other soldiers. “All those GIs standing and sitting over (across the tarmac) were waiting for us to get off the plane so they could go home,” Verucchi said. “They were in a joyous mood, a rowdy mood, and we were like in a prayer meeting mood.” His unit, the First Air Cavalry Division, saw its share of on-ground combat, including a time when nearly everyone was injured, including Verucchi, who still has the shrapnel in him from a mortar attack. “I was helping people who were wounded,” he said. “During the evacuation, somebody said, ‘Is that your blood?’ I said, ‘I don’t think so,’ and I felt something wet down my side and I said, ‘It sure is.’” Doctors mended him before he headed home to Natchez and returned to work at IP. Verucchi spent more than a year in combat and suffered from the experience for many years. Verucchi said, however, he had a good postwar life — raising a family, volunteering at Assumption Church, joining the Veterans of For-

eign Wars and rising to be Mississippi VFW commander. Then in 2014, Verucchi began noticing that he couldn’t do the work he thought he should be able to do. “I was trimming limbs and I’d get so winded that I had to sit down,” he said. “(I) went to the doctor, and because I had a history of heart trouble in the family, he put me through stress tests and I passed every bit of that.” Another doctor suggested he get a pulmonary test. “That started it. I didn’t do well on the test,” Verucchi said. The doctor told him that he had good news and bad news and said he could identify Verucchi’s condition. “I said, ‘That’s good news, now we can do something about it,’” Verucchi said. “(The doctor) said, ‘That’s the bad news. There’s not much we can do.’” Doctors diagnosed Verucchi condition as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a chronic and ultimately fatal disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function. Doctors don’t know what causes IPF nor how to cure it, Verucchi said. Medicines, which have been shown to slow the progression of the disease, do exist, but are very expensive — approximately $10,000 a month. The doctor recommended Verucchi go to Veterans Administration for help. After the VA confirmed the diagnosis, Verucchi and his wife decided to seek another opinion from the doctors at Tulane School of Medicine in New Orleans. He said the doctors told him he was too old for a transplant at Tulane, but that the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., had good results with older patients.

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Vietnam veteran Donnie Verucchi recently received a lung transplant after being diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. For now, Verucchi wears a surgical mask to protect himself from viruses and other contagions.

44 PROFILE 2017

Veteran Donnie Verucchi speaks about his experiences at a recent Patriotism Education Program at Cathedral School. Verucchi wears the patriotic surgical mask to minimize his exposure to contagions that might make him sick following his recent lung transplant. After extensive tests, the clinic approved Verucchi for the transplant program. By spring 2016, he and his wife were living in an apartment in Jacksonville to be near the clinic. His condition had progressed to the point that he needed the help of an oxygen tank to breathe. “So, three weeks and three days (after arriving in Jacksonville) on Divine Mercy Sunday, after walking (to the apartment) from church, the doctor called and said, ‘We need you to be ready. We think we have you a lung,’” Veruchhi said. Doctors warned him about false alarms and told Verucchi to call back at 7 p.m. for confirmation. “Well, from 11 in the morning to 7 that night was long and agonizing. I started dialing at 6:59,” Verucchi said. At 9 a.m. the next day, Verucchi was on the operating room table. “It was scary. I was strapped down on my side and I heard them say, ‘We’re on hold,’” he said. “I thought, ‘What are they on hold for?’ Then I heard someone say, ‘You know it’s snowing up there.’ So wherever this lung was coming from, you know it was cold weather. Well I got the lung.” While waiting for the lung’s arrival, Verucchi said he was overwhelmed with anxiety. “I was so nervous. My body was as tense and hard as a desktop,” he said. “(The transplant team members) were all hanging out chatting, and I was strapped down ready to go. I had the feeling I wanted to break out of those restraints.” Verucchi then started praying. “I immediately felt a sense of calm and relief. Ev-

ery muscle just relaxed,” he said. “I said, ‘You got it, Jesus. I can’t take just laying here like this.’ The power of prayer and the power of Jesus … man.” The transplant was April 4, 2016. “When I woke up it was great to be back with people whom love you,” Verucchi said. Two days later, Verucchi was walking in the hospital. Within five days, he was back in his apartment. Soon after, he and Carolyn decided to take a ride to St. Augustine. On the way back, Verucchi noticed that he wasn’t feeling well. When his temperature started rising, he went to the emergency room. “My temperature spiked. I was out for 10 days with a virus and in the hospital for 29 days on a ventilator,” Verucchi said. “That was a rough road. I ended up with a tracheotomy.” In the months to come, Verucchi experienced more difficulties — infections, stent operations and more. “They say every transplant is different — not a one alike,” he said. Verucchi wound up with having to deal with scar tissue near his new lung that lasted several months. “They had to go in daily and clean out that scar tissue,” he said. Days after the transplant, Verucchi’s best friend Jerry Stowers, a fellow Vietnam veteran, died. “I couldn’t come home to his funeral,” Verucchi said. “I remember inviting him over and telling him about my disease and telling him, ‘I’ve had a good life. I’m just putting this in the hands of the Lord.’ “Jerry said, ‘Don’t worry about it; you will be fine,’” Verucchi said. In the nine months since the transplant, Veruc-

chi said his life has changed dramatically with a daily regime of 27 pills, two injections, blood pressure and breathing monitoring, charting all of his vital signs, watching everything he eats and being cautious of germs. Known for his sense of humor, Verucchi has taken one practice and personalized it — wearing a mask over his nose and mouth. “I’ve got hunting masks. I’ve got a green one I’ll wear to the Cathedral ball games” he said. “A lot of people look at me … kids look at me like I’m going to give them something. I try to tell them I’m protecting myself from you. I’d rather not wear it, but I’ve got five or six for different occasions.” Recently, he wore a patriotic mask while helping with a Patriotism Education Program at Cathedral school. “I realized that life’s pretty short. When you get a disease that’s non-curable, the end looks pretty close,” he said. “If you get a gift of life, you get some more quality years, you’re blessed. I enjoy every day.” Verucchi said after his diagnosis he started the habit of not just saying his prayers, but writing them down. “I journal my prayers every morning,” he said. “I find myself praying for other people more than I pray for myself.” Verucchi said he cherishes the small moments, especially with his grandchildren. “That’s why the good Lord kept me here … to see those things … and pray. It’s the little things,” he said.

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48 PROFILE 2017

One house at a time Sanquanette Allen, center, and her family gather for the dedication of the first house built by the Natchez-Adams County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Allen still lives in the house, now with her five grandchildren who she is helping to raise. On facing page, Habitat board member Duncan McFarlane works of one of the recent houses that have been built in the last 25 years.

Local Habitat for Humanity chapter celebrates 25 years STORY BY LYNDY BERRYHILL

n mid-August of 1992, the winds of Hurricane Andrew had whipped Natchez weather into frenzy. The rain was blowing sideways as the last light of the evening was dissipating on the day the hurricane hit the area. Worried her family would be without power for the night, Sanquanette Allen went out to buy candles. She left her three children with her motherin-law. “Stay away from the back of the house,” Allen recalls telling them as she left. “Don’t go back there.” Allen said she always feared the ancient trees towering over homes on State Street would fall one day. When she returned with candles, Allen says she could barely recognize her house. A large oak tree had fallen on her house with the chil children inside. Despite several oak trees on the street, hers was the only house damaged. No one was injured, but Allen’s family could no longer live in the house. Fortunately, Allen had been notified eight days earlier that her family was set to receive the first Habitat for Humanity house built in Natchez. More than 20 years have passed, but Allen still remembers the feeling of moving into a house made especially for her family. “It was very exciting,” she said. “I just couldn’t wait.” Allen raised her family in the house, grandand now is helping raise her five grand children. Every morning, she helps get the grandchildren ranging in age from 6 to 15 get ready for school. “(My Habitat house) enabled me to help my grandchildren,” Allen said. “It was easier for me to do that with a stable home.” HabiSince 1991, the local chapter of Habi tat has built 20 houses over a span of 25 years, changing the lives of people like Allen. Natchez residents Helen and Buddy OthRayne started the Natchez chapter. Oth Daer original organizers included Rev. Da vid O’Connor of St. Mary Basilica and attorDanny O’Beirne, who served as attor ney for the local chapter until five years ago. Natchez native Duncan McFarlane joined Habitat in 2001. He now serves as secretary of the chapter. McFarlane said Habitat should begin construction on the next house in early March or April. The biggest challenge of building houses is raising enough funds to keep up with the de-

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In the past 25 years, Habitat for Humanity has built 20 houses for local homeowners who wouldn’t ordinarily have another alternative to owning a house. Buddy Rayne, at left, who was one of the founders of the local chapter, works with other volunteers on the second house that was built by the organization. mand, McFarlane said. Habitat serves low-income families, many who rent houses that cost more than the average cost of a monthly mort mortgage payment. “(Recipients) cry two times during the process,” McFarlane said. “The day I tell them they’ve been selected and the day they move in. “It’s the sweetest deal around, except that we only build one a year. We don’t have the money or the volunteers to build more than that.” Volunteers work three mornings each week from 8 a.m. until noon. The house plans are created at Habitat headquar headquarters, and adapted its plans to fit the fam family’s needs. The number of bedrooms on the house depends on the gender of the children and the how many people are in the family. Thirty days after new home homeowners move in, they begin paying off their house. So far, three homeowners have paid off their mortgages, and three more owe less than $5,000. While Habitat sees many happy endings, McFarlane said not all stories are

picture perfect. “One owner entered a nursing home and deeded his house back to Habitat,” he said. “We acquired another one through foreclosure, and that was a sad moment for all involved. Our mission is to put people into houses, not kick them out.” Those houses were rented out to other applicants until they could complete the required 250 hours of Habitat work — or sweat equity — then Habitat sold the house to them. With a board of volunteers, McFarlane said keeping up Habitat operations has at times been difficult, especially with new regulations imposed by Mortgage Procedures and Regulations and the creation of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The organization, therefore, outsources all collection of payments, payment of taxes and insurance to a third-party service. Despite the difficulties, the Natchez Habitat chapter continues to have a multi-generational impact on the community. The second home built by Habitat was

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Philip Rachal and his wife, Jordan, became proud owners of the 18th house built ny Habitat for Humanity. Philip’s mother, Penny Rachal was the owner of the second house built by the local organization. At right, Penny Rachal offers a prayer during the dedication of her son’s house in 2014.

for Penny Rachal, a single mother of three children Amanda, Phillip and Joseph. Phillip and his wife, Morgan, were the recipients of Habitat’s 18th house. Rachal had applied to receive Habitat’s first house in an effort to move out of her cramped apartment. “It wasn’t a place you could call home,” Rachal said. “I got tired of moving and said I wasn’t going to move again.” Rachal filled out her application and prayed over it, but was ultimately not selected for the first house. She still continued to volunteer for Habitat, though. “It’s all about helping people,” Rachal said. “There’s nothing like giving to people. … It’s not what I can get out of it, but what I can give.” Rachal recalls memories of three of her children watching volunteers work on their first home and trying to help. She keeps a worn photo album of the entire building process, in it a photo of her two sons and daughter by the small bulldozer used to prepare the house’s foundation. When she lies down at night, Rachal says she counts owning her own home as a gift from God. “It’s just a blessing,” Rachal said of how the organization has helped her family.

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ETERNAL MISSION

Parkway Baptist Church pastor the Rev. Jeff Brewer, right, talks to the church’s Wednesday night prayer group. The Rev. Dwight Greene, below, preaches to his congregation at Living Word Worship Center in Natchez.

Local ministers say church’s

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

The Rev. Nance Hixon, below, preaches during a recent Sunday morning service at Grace United Methodist Church in Natchez.

STORY BY MORGAN MIZELL PHOTOS BY BEN HILLYER

message critical in world of change

he Rev. Jeff Brewer delivers a message each Sunday morning that is more than 2,000 years old. The Parkway Baptist Church pastor and other local ministers say the enduring message of compassion and love that is in the teachings of Christ is more important than ever in a world of constant change. Brewer grew up in the Seargent S. Prentis Drive church he now leads. After leaving Natchez 25 years ago, he attended college and served other churches. Brewer returned in 2010 to the church of his youth to lead a congregation and a community that is different from the one in which he grew up. “When I was a child, the only thing the church competed with was school,” Brewer said. “Church used to be the only and most important game in town, if you will, but not so today.” A changing society has left the church fighting for attention more than it ever has, Brewer said. As a result, the church has evolved, he said. “Instead of the classic steeple and stained glass, more and more churches today are trending to look more like a state-of-the-art civic center in order to accommodate the people and to be more relative to the modern culture,” Brewer said. Everything from how people dress and when they attend to church to the songs that are sung each Sunday morning have also changed. “Very few men wear suits or even

58 PROFILE 2017

The Rev. Dwight Greene offers the Sunday message at a recent Living Word Worship Center service in Natchez.

“There is no right or wrong as change goes,

but what the church cannot change are the foundational tenants to what the church has believed for well over 2,000 years and the purpose for which it exists.” Jeff Brewer

Parkway Baptist Church

sport coats,” Brewer said. “The music continues to move away from hymns.” For Brewer, some encouraging changes are more important. “One of the things that gives me much delight is the evidence of racial diversity in our church — a Southern Baptist Church in the Deep South of Mississippi,” Brewer said. “Today the mix of white, black and even those from other nationalities brings me great joy.” Challenges still remain and more changes are sure to come, Brewer said. “There is no right or wrong as change goes, but what the church cannot change are the foundational tenants to what the church has believed for well over 2,000 years and the purpose for which it exists,” he said. A letter from the Apostle Paul written to the church in Ephesus defines the purpose of the church, Brewer said. Paul writes that the church must engage in equipping

the saints for ministry, edifying the body in Christian fellowship and evangelizing the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ, Brewer said. The Rev. Dwight Greene of Living Word Worship Center agrees. Greene also grew up in Natchez attending Fourth Street Church of Christ led by his father the Rev. Wendell Greene Sr. After high school, Greene attended college and joined the military. He eventually returned to Natchez in 2000. In the 1970s and 1980s, parents made sure church was part of family life, Greene said. “The church was presented with the opportunity to plant seeds of the Christian faith, Christian morals and ethics,” Greene said. “However, in today’s society, it is not uncommon for a child to grow up in a home without having ever attended church. As a result of this shift in lack of any church attendance or involvement, there has been a mirroring downward shift of Christian beliefs, ethics and morals.”

The trend has led to increases in crime, hatred and low morals, which makes the church more important than ever, Greene said. “Although we are seeing drastic changes in our society on all fronts, we must continue to, now more than ever, seek guidance from God’s word,” Greene said. Even though the world changes, God’s message continues to resonate, Greene said. “God’s message throughout the Bible is not limited to addressing one specific situation, but to address the human nature.” God’s message is universal, Greene said. “It is our responsibility to view God’s message in a way not limiting its relevance to just our current times, but to understand that God’s message is very relevant at all times.” Like Brewer and Greene, the Rev. Nance Hixon of Grace United Methodist Church said he believes that while the world depicted in the Bi-

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60 PROFILE 2017

The Rev. Nance Hixon, above, preaches during a recent Sunday morning service at Grace United Methodist Church in Natchez.

ble is very different from the world around us, the message still reverberates. Hixon says stories in the Bible can parallel well with situations Christians currently face. “Jesus spent time with the people nobody else bothered with and nobody cared about,” Hixon said. “Well, who are those people today? Who right here in Natchez is being ignored and blown off or written off ? How can I show them the love of God like Jesus did for the outcasts in his day?” The minister at Grace since 2012, Hixon said the Bible cannot be applied specifically to everything in today’s world. Hixon said he was recently asked what the Bible says about the use of cellphones. “What a terrible question, but what a great question,” Hixon said. “Doesn’t ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ teach us a thing or two?” Hixon said. “You don’t want somebody

who’s texting and driving to run a red light and kill you, and so you need to make sure you aren’t texting and posing a danger to them.” Hixon said another passage of the Bible that offers advice for today’s world come from the book of James. The phrase, “Be slow to speak, quick to listen,” could be used as a means to opt out of the continued debates of various kinds on social media, Hixon said. All three of pastors agree the greatest message is love. “The heart of the message is that there’s something broken in the world and in me, and Jesus came to make it right,” Hixon said. “That doesn’t change. There are people and situations around me in need of healing and transformation, and that’s always been true — always will be.” Brewer agrees. The church, he said, is called to hold steady even as the world around it changes, no matter how unpopular that may be. “As societies continue to change and

standards rise and fall like the incoming and outgoing tide, the church is called to hold steady with compassion and love for those around it because of the faith it has in Jesus Christ and His teachings,” Brewer said. “While this stance is an unpopular position by a growing number of people and groups, and while some churches are turning against certain teachings of Christ because they are no longer popular positions in society, the church must remain faithful to the teachings of Christ.” Brewer said despite the growing disregard for Christians in society, the church cannot diverge from its mission. “The church may be walking down a road that brings with it social unpopularity, but the church exists ultimately for the glory of God and the good of man, and for this to happen, the church must remain faithful to the unchanging word of God and teachings of Christ.”

“There are people and situations around me in need of healing and

transformation, and that’s always been true — always will be.”” Nance Hixon

Grace United Methodist Church

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62 PROFILE 2017

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INTO THE NIGHT Work just beginning for some after the sun goes down

Mable Green has been working at The Donut Shop for 10 years. Her day usually begins at 2 a.m. when she prepares the baked goods at the shop. “I enjoy it. It’s my peace of mind before the day begins,” Green said. Green is one of the many residents who work nights in the Miss-Lou. At left, Green puts a tray of donuts in the proofer, where the dough will rise before being cooked and glazed for the morning’s customers.

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66 PROFILE 2017

INTO THE NIGHT

Natchez police officer Spencer McAllister, above, works as a security guard at the Under-the-Hill Saloon on weekends to make a bit of extra money. At left, Roselyn Hawkins works at Sprint Mart gas station at the end of East Franklin Street. Hawkins said she enjoys working the night shift because it is peaceful and people seem to be moving at a slower pace.

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68 PROFILE 2017

INTO THE NIGHT

Warren Wheat works for Natchez Custom Towing, a 24-hour towing and auto locksmith service. He is called out to vehicle accidents at all-hours of the day. At top, Wheat cleans up debris at the scene of an accident in Natchez.

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TECHNOLOGY 70 PROFILE 2017

How have computers, Internet changed local law enforcement?

ears ago, when a law enforcement officer was handed their badg e, along with it came only handcuffs, bullets and a gun. “Your options weren’t that great when the deck was stacked against you,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said. With the advent of technology through the years, Patten and other local criminal justice officials say the work of crime prevention, policing, solving crimes and even paperwork has completely changed.

On the streets

From pepper spray and stun guns to body cameras, officers on the street are more equipped by technology to aid in the service of their duties. The proliferation of nonlethal weapons such as stun guns and pepper spray allows officers to disarm and subdue suspects without using lethal force. “We are not in the business of taking lives,” Patten said. “We are in the business of saving and protecting lives. Tasers and other devices give you an option to eliminate a threat without actually having to take someone’s life.” Deputies at the sheriff ’s office are now also equipped with body cameras, which are becoming increasingly

on PATROL common at departments across the nation in the face of police violence. “They help us become better officers,” Patten said. “I’m an advocate for the cameras. It’s extremely important for us and the public to have the proper story of an incident told and not just the story people want to tell.” Body cameras protect officers, residents and often provide key evidence in court, but they are also a learning tool for officers, Patten said. “Officers can review the footage and look at, ‘What did I miss? How could I have diffused that situation better?’” he said. Inside patrol vehicles, Natchez Police Capt. Scott Frye said laptops aid officers in policing as well as increase the overall efficiency of the department.

STORY BY LINDSEY SHELTON PHOTOS BY NICOLE HESTER

Laptops in a patrol car can allow officers to conduct random license plate searches that could discover a stolen car or a wanted suspect. More efficient technology for creating reports allows officers to pull up identification and contact information for residents who have previously filed reports instead of re-entering the data. The police department also hopes to soon move to an electronic ticketing system, Frye said, which would automatically send the ticket to Natchez Municipal Court saving time for court clerks.

911, what’s your emergency?

With a consolidated city and county dispatch center in the works, Frye said he hopes the dispatch service can adopt technology proven to work in other cities. “In Vicksburg, they have cameras downtown,” he said. “Here, we can monitor the (Mississippi River) bridge live, so if there is a wreck, we can see a live feed of the scene. But if we could get cameras downtown, dispatchers could be monitoring them, and if there is something going on, if they see a fight break out or something, they can call it in, or if there is a call about something, they can see a live feed of it from the scene.” When working the scene of a crime, officers can now cover more ground than

Adams County Sheriff ’s Office Capt. Buddy Frank holds the drone the office uses to review crime scenes and investigate cases. On facing page, Natchez Police Department Sgt. Felicia Fleming holds one of the department’s laptop used to conduct license plate searches and file reports.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

72 PROFILE 2017

ever with the help of technology such as GPS mapping and drones. Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said the county is set to make several upgrades to the dispatch center. Work is currently being completed on a program that would allow dispatchers to see a photograph of any business or residence from which a 911 call is received. Bradford said his office is taking photographs of every residence and business in the county for the program. “A lot of times, seconds matters when you’re on 911,” Bradford said. “The system can detect where the call is coming from and a picture would pop up so dispatchers can tell officers, ‘OK, it’s a white house with a gate.’ It’s hard to see sometimes at night, and sometimes houses aren’t always marked, so this would help the dispatchers get the officers out there faster.” Eventually, ACSO vehicles will be outfitted with laptops, and when that happens, Bradford said, dispatchers could send a route to a call to display on a unit’s laptop. GPS mapping has changed the way

emergency responders work and can be used to locate criminals as well as victims. “Now, everyone has a cellphone, and we can use the signal to see you driving down the road,” Patten said. “The other day we had a lady run her car off a 120-foot drop on Lagrange Road, and we were having a hard time locating her, and the 911 system was able to put us within in feet of where she was.”

Solving the case

In addition to helping law enforcement agencies catch criminals on the street and save lives, the advancement of technology has aided in solving cases, even decades old. “The level DNA testing has gotten to now allows you to test a single cell,” Patten said. “DNA testing is so advanced that you can go back years and solve cases with testing now. And the state crime lab has asked you to do that. Sex offenders have to give DNA, and they have asked us to open up cold cases and see what evidence we have so they can reexamine it and see if they can get a match. I think it’s solved close to 14 cold cases by agen-

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“Every time a criminal gets arrested, they evolve. When they go to prison, they call that going to college. The ones who don’t want to reform, they go in there and hone their skills.” Travis Patten

Adams County Sheriff

cies sending evidence back through the system.” The Internet has also become a crucial tool in solving cases for law enforcement. Frye said the police department frequently uses social media such as Facebook to learn more about suspects. Online services such as Tracers, which supplies law enforcement with data and intelligence based on public records and other information, can also help police to gain insight on a suspect, Frye said. The sheriff ’s office utilizes a website called Leads Online that allows pawn shops to sign up and report transactions, typically required by law, to a central database. “That has helped us solve so many burglaries all the way to Alabama,” Patten said. “We have all but one or two pawn shops signed up, and I think we solved nine or 10 burglaries in two months.”

The future

As law enforcement technology advances, so evolves the technology and tools criminals use. In order to continue the fight against crime, Patten said, law enforcement agencies must continue to invest and properly utilize technology. “Every time a criminal gets arrested, they evolve,” Patten said. “When they go to prison, they call that going to college. The ones who don’t want to reform, they go in there and hone their skills.” Patten said it is often easy for law enforcement officials and members of the public to get caught up in the money that technology can cost to improve a department. He says, however, the safety of a community is worth the investment. “If we as law enforcement don’t continue to evolve and get ready for what is to come, we have already lost the fight.”

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in BACK TOWN Madeline England returned to Natchez after traveling and working in countries across the world. She has discovered a new life and new opportunities in the town where she grew up.

THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Locals discover new lives in area where they grew up

he first time she left her hometown behind Madeline England knew she wanted to see more of the world, but she never found another place like Natchez. England saw a lot of different places before she coming home to Natchez. She attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. After graduating with a degree in economics, she joined the Peace Corps for two years and visited a dozen or more African countries. She returned to Columbia University in New York City and earned her master’s degree. In 2010, she worked in Washington, D.C., for an organization that took her all over the world, including Kosovo, Liberia, South Africa and Sweden. “The travel was awesome, but sometimes…”

England said, trailing off into thought. A trip to a Congo prison would eventually lead England back home searching for more. Helping write for the United Nations, England went to visit the country’s prisons to review U.N. rebuilding in the war torn country. “All the prisons are overcrowded. … The conditions were really awful,” England said. At one prison she visited, one room that could comfortably house five people had more than 80 prisoners contained inside. England brushed against a man being held there as her team was leaving. She apologized, but what the man’s response has stuck with England ever since. “No, it’s okay. You’re here to help us,” the man said to England.

STORY BY LYNDY BERRYHILL PHOTOS BY NICOLE HESTER

HISTORIC JEFFERSON COLLEGE 78 PROFILE 2017

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England and the rest of the crew left the prison in a van together. It was a quiet ride back. Everyone knew the report produced was going to be buried on someone’s desk for a long time before any of the prisoners received help, England said. “I felt like I wasn’t helping the people I wanted to help,” she said. England worked 18-hour days, often sleeping at her desk because she wanted to help people. Everyone she discussed her frustrations with in her field of work felt the same way. England finally decided to quit her job and move back to Natchez in 2012 to regroup. She knew moving to another job in the same field was not going to change much, except her location, so England quit and returned to Natchez. “I thought I would regroup here and move to Nashville or Austin,” England said. England did not know what to do, but in the meantime, she became a sales associate at Dunleith, and was promoted to sales manager. “Before I knew it, I had a life here and friends,” England said. Three years later, England is a regional director of health promotion in the Adams County area. It is a newly created position with the Mississippi Department of Health. England said it feels good to work in an area where people actively care about making it better. She said she did not realize the power of Natchez’s small-town community before moving back. “I kind of just fell in love with Natchez all over again,” England said. For other Natchez natives, they only travel a few states away to miss their hometown. Tuwanna Higgins–Williams joined the U.S. Army after graduating high school in 1993. Higgins-Williams spent most of her military service on base in Fort Campbell, Ky. Four years later, Higgins-Williams went back to school in Tennessee because she thought she wanted to be a doctor. Although she left school with high grades, she said she realized she wasn’t suited for the medical profession. Back when her grandparents owned and operated Rosa’s Tavern, she saw the best part of owning a small-town business — helping the community. “That’s where I grew up,” Higgins-Williams said. “I saw them helping anybody and everybody they could.” She saw her grandparents give away food and provide shelter for people in need while Rosa’s Tavern was in operation. Even though the tavern is now closed, her grandparents’ actions inspire Higgins-Williams to this day. Higgins-Williams went to Nashville and worked for the United Way. She wrote grants for projects and learned the fundamentals of fundraising. Finding it difficult to be away from her family, she moved back to Mississippi. “I didn’t want to come back to Natchez, but I did want to live close to home,” Higgins-Williams said. Once she moved back to her home state, she changed positions and began working with more hands-on projects with the United Way in Jackson. Throughout her time away from Natchez, Higgins-Williams took what she learned about helping people and kept expanding her knowledge of community needs. She officially moved back to Natchez in the summer of 2016. Her husband moved his business here, and she opened a clothing boutique downtown. Higgins-Williams works at the local Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus where she advises students on housing and other career needs. She works closely with the Natchez Business and Civic League. She now owns her own consulting company and boutique. “Natchez is so heartfelt, it’s home,” Higgins-Williams said. “I’ve always wanted to come home and, you know, bring back what I’ve learned here.” Like England and Higgins-Williams, Natchez native Jessica Stubbs wanted to move away from Natchez only to find family and home calling her back. Stubbs moved away for college, but eventually jumped at the chance to raise her family on the bluff. “I loved living downtown,” Stubbs said. “I always have enjoyed being able to walk everywhere, especially after living in places where the downtown isn’t the center point of the city and isn’t as accessible.”

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Jessica Stubbs moved back to Natchez in 2013 to raise children in the town in which she and her husband grew up. Stubbs said she looks back now and realizes how much she appreciated Natchez at a very young age. She now lives in the house she grew up in, which was also her great-grandmother’s house. “Some days I still wake up and think how weird it is that I’m here in this house again, but I’m grown up now and raising my children,” Stubbs said. Stubbs moved away to attend Louisiana State University. After spending three years at LSU, she transferred to University of Southern Mississippi and earned her degree in public relations and journalism. “I moved back right after graduation and worked as a secretary… I had no idea what I really wanted to do,” Stubbs said. “I decided to go back to school and I received my teaching degree and taught in the public school system here for one year.” That year, she met her now-husband, Nathan, who was living in Baton Rouge at the time. She decided to move back to Baton Rouge and taught there for four years. Stubbs and Nathan married, and the couple lived in Baton Rouge for 10 years. In 2012, her husband sold his contracting business to his partner and decided to start his current company, Stubbs NK Contractors. They decided to build a house in St. Francisville, La., to be close to Baton Rouge and Natchez. “We had only been in our house for about six months when someone knocked on our door and made us an offer we could not refuse,” Stubbs said. “I took that as a sign for us to move back home. “When we decided to move back, my mother graciously sold us the house I grew up in and we gutted it and completely made it a new house,” Stubbs said. “It’s the perfect size for us and wonderful for entertaining. I feel very blessed to live in my family home.” The Stubbs moved back in 2013 so they could raise their children in their hometown. Stubbs said she passes on Natchez traditions to her children such as stopping by the local library and taking them to The Malt Shop. “I want to them appreciate the small things and know how lucky they are to live in Natchez,” Stubbs said. Stubbs volunteers in the community at Cathedral School, Stewpot and St. Mary Basilica and helps her husband with his contracting business. At the same time, her children are surrounded by family. “I’m so happy that my kids are so close to all of their grandparents and greatgrandparents,” Stubbs said. “Ultimately, we moved home to be closer to our family and it has been so worth it. I see Natchez the same way I did as a little girl — a small, close-knit community that has so much to offer.”

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HOME FILE PHOTO | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

NICOLE HESTER | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

FILE PHOTO | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Local coaches David King, left, Robert Sanders, center, and Craig Beasley now coach on the same fields and courts they knew when they were in high school.

Local coaches enjoy mentoring youth at their alma maters

hether on the court, in the dugout or on the sideline, four local coaches love their hometown sports. Robert Sanders, David Haywood, Craig Beesley and David King all coach at their alma maters and enjoy mentoring young athletes within the area.

A coach’s influence

coach Mike Martin. Haywood played basketball at Southern Natchez High School basketball coach David Haywood had already made a name Miss until 2005, having been redshirted for himself before returning to coach at his freshman year. Before taking off to Hattiesburg, Martin let Haywood travel his alma mater. When Haywood graduated in 2000, his with Natchez during summer camps fol25.3 average points per game was the lowing his senior year of high school. “(Martin) let me draw up some plays highest in school history among numerthat summer,” Haywood ous other accolades. Now said. “He was the only in his second year with coach (for the camps) the head coach job, he STORY BY EMMALEE MOLAY and asked if I would hopes to help his athletes come along. It stuck with leave the same legacy. “When I first got back around, I knew me, and I enjoyed having direction and the kids needed to see things from the being on the sideline. It felt good even same community,” Haywood said. “Grow- though I was only a year older than some ing up here, I can show them that if I can of those kids.” Continued success at USM led Haywood do this, they can, too.” Close bonds between players and coach- into professional basketball where he played overseas for two-and-a-half years, es are nothing new. Haywood ended up back at the school including in Iceland. “(Martin) was a big influence,” Haythanks to a little coaxing from his former

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REED DESALVO | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

wood said. “We stayed in contact throughout college and my pro career. He always asked what I thought about coaching. I always loved being competitive, and after playing for so long, I thought I would try out under Coach Martin.” In 2008, Haywood returned to Natchez to be an assistant coach and stayed in that role until 2015 when he snagged the interim head spot after Martin retired. “I got onto a long term sub (teacher) contract,” Haywood said. “All of a sudden I took all the practice tests, and I got all the required hours to be a fulltime teacher. I really didn’t think it would fall into place like that. (Natchez) is a special place to me. I had opportunities to go elsewhere, but I waited for my turn here.” And since he knows first hand the impression that a great coach can have

on a player, Haywood said he spends much of his time focusing on his team’s needs. “There are going to be bumps in the road, and I’m here to help them dodge those speed bumps,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t have visions of things outside of Natchez, not only athletics but real life, too. I want to move these kids forward every day and give them a solid foundation.” As far as Bulldog fans are concerned, they don’t have to worry about anything anytime soon. “I would love to be around Natchez for a little while, and I hope that everything that plays a factor in that happens,” Haywood said. “If I was somewhere else, I don’t know if I would be in this field.”

In his niche

Despite Vidalia High School basket-

ball coach Robert Sanders having a handful of teachers in his family, Sanders said he never thought he would be involved in the education field. And since he did not play sports during his attending Vidalia High as a student, Sanders said he definitely did not think he would end up as a coach. “I wanted to try something different,” Sanders said. “In college, I wanted to sign up for accounting, but the office was closed when I went in that day.” In the fall of 1972, Sanders enrolled in Southern Illinois University, except not as an accounting major. Instead, he thought he would give physical education a try. What Sanders did not realize was that his degree in health and physical education would one day give him just the right platform to lead dozens of young players at his alma mater. Now in his 26th year at the helm,

Natchez High School head coach for the boy’s basketball team David Haywood graduated from the school in 2000. He came with a little influence from his former coach Mike Martin.

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Sanders has discovered right where he belongs. “I really have enjoyed it, and I’m enjoying it still,” Sanders said. “I’ve been told that I was a role model, so I’m glad I can make a positive impact rather than a negative.” Yet, Sanders has not always been so sure of that role. During his sophomore year in college, Sanders returned home to Vidalia on breaks and played basketball with some athletes from high school. They knew much more about the sport than he did, and it was not until then that his strong relationship with athletics began. In his junior year, Sanders joined the track team at Southern Illinois and competed in the long and triple jumps, expanding his involvement in sports. “I didn’t know I wanted to coach until after receiving my degree (in physical education),” Sanders said. “I thought basketball and maybe football.” Sanders was on the right path to coach when he returned to VHS in 1977 as an adaptive physical education instructor. Since he needed additional certification, however, Sanders went right back to school. He pursued a master’s in physical health and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1983, all while working in the beginning stages of his teaching career. In 1991, Sanders got the call from Vidalia.

Through the ups and downs, Sanders has learned tips and tricks from just about everyone, giving special credit to the summers he spent in Vidalia playing basketball with friends. “I’ve always picked up basketball ideas from others and taken advantage of things like training camps,” he said. “There’s a group of us who get together every May.” Sanders said he will not slow down anytime soon, either. “People have constantly asked me if I want to retire, but I say if we are still having fun, then I’m going to continue,” he said. “It means a lot that I might retire from the school where I graduated from. Seeing all the people (from Vidalia) coming to our games and supporting us even if we aren’t winning has been the best part.” NICOLE HESTER | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Robert Sanders has been the head basketball coach for the Vidalia Vikings for 26 years. Not only was there an open coaching spot, but it was for the head position. “I did not say yes originally,” he said. “At that point ,I’d been teaching 12 years, and I had kind of given up hope about coaching. I tried to refuse the job because I had no experience. The principal at the time said they really needed me as head coach, but the first two or three years were not too good.”

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Family matters

For Cathedral High School baseball coach Craig Beesley, coming back home to the Green Wave was a no-brainer. Beesley had seen it all his life, and after taking a small break from Natchez to play shortstop and second base at Delta State University, he returned with a position at Cathedral under his father, Ken, in 1994. “It’s a great school and atmosphere,” Beesley said. “Wonderful people come through here. It’s great place to work, and I wanted to be here.”

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He wasted no time taking notes from his dad. In his first year back, the Green Wave took home the state trophy. “It was great,” Beesley said. “Just to see the way he ran things, it was so organized, and I saw that he put us where we needed to be. There was a good mentality, and he was the perfect role model.” Of course, Beesley needed the direction when he took over the program following Ken’s retirement in 2003. “I never thought I would come back, but those first few years back (with my dad) were so influential,” he said. “A lot of things I do in preparation for practice and things are modeled after him. And even though I do some things differently, if I was in a crunch or needed help, he will always be there.” Since his homecoming, Beesley said his favorite part has been the bond he gets to make with his players and their parents. “I have had the opportunity to leave,” he said. “It’s just something about this community. It’s second to none. I enjoy seeing these kids grow up, and there’s something about it that’s pulling me in.”

Warm welcome home

As a 1987 graduate of Adams County Christian School, the decision for Rebel headmaster and football coach David King to return happened only five years ago. King coached 14 years at cross-town rival Trinity Episcopal, but after four state championships with the Saints, he said a gut feeling drew him

L. Douglas Smith, M.D.

FILE PHOTO | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Adams County Christian School football coach David King is a 1987 graduate of the school. back to his alma mater. “We have all types of people are here (at ACCS),” King said. “It’s a melting pot of different financial situations and backgrounds. It’s a special place, and there are lots of very successful people who have come through here. There was a strong calling to come back.” King might have had an unforgettable career at Trinity winning 141 games, but he learned about success long before that ever happened. During his eighth grade year, King served as a

Aaron J. Smith, M.D.

water boy on ACCS’ 1982 championship football team. He said the team’s pride and enthusiasm is what he remembers most. “It was a great time and great year,” King said. “There was a lot of school spirit, and we have brought that back. I feel the same way about the school now as I did back then.” Since returning to the Rebel family, King has not yet taken home a state title, although he has made the championship game twice. But to him, titles are not the most important thing. “It has nothing to do with championships,” he said. “It’s about turning boys into men. It is a special feeling to do that at the same place where I ran around. Coaching is a different occupation, but to see former players come back, I can’t describe how that feels. My relationship with my players is the best. “There is never two days that go by back-to-back that former players don’t call and check on me. I would not trade it for anything.” With support from players also comes loyalty of the ACCS staff. King said without the help from everyone at the school, he doesn’t know if he would be able to balance coaching with his position as headmaster. “My favorite part is the support from the board and faculty to welcome me in,” he said. “I came across as a rival. I have a committed faculty who make my job easier. I’m enjoying it now more than ever, because I know it will be over at some point.”

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RED, WHITE & TRUE Local veterans offer views of patriotism in nation, community “By definition, patriotism is the pride of and devotion to one’s homeland. Americans have always been among the most patriotic people in the world. However, I believe it means something different to

all of us. Some patriots may put more emphasis on our politics and liberties, while others focus on our traditions and values. Regardless of our own idea of it, we all seem to display it proudly.” Adam Kirk

U.S. Army veteran

“We are more patriotic because of the wars taking place among us — the wars in foreign countries that are viewed each day in our homes.” Leon Hollins

U.S. Air Force veteran

“I feel that we as Americans are less patriotic today than we were over 15 years ago. The day after Sept. 11, you couldn’t help but see rows upon rows of U.S. flags in everyone’s yard. People showing support by either taking the oath of enlistment today, you’ll be lucky to see one or two per block. This may be due to the fact of mainstream media and or the fact that we have become a nation that is so wound up in being politically correct and not wanting to offend anyone to the point where if you disagree with anyone or bring a fact that undermines their belief.” Charlie Blanton U.S. Air Force veteran

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QUOTES COMPILED BY G. MARK LAFRANCIS

ubert H. Humphrey, the 38th vice president of the United States, once said, “What we need are critical lovers of America — patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it.” Author Mark Twain had a different take. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and

your government when it deserves it.” Former Gen. Colin Powell, a solid optimist, had this to say about patriotism, “You can be sure that the American Spirit will prevail …” But how alive is that American spirit? We asked several local veterans to describe their feelings regarding the state of patriotism today.

“I think that most Americans are more patriotic today because I see more and more Americans standing for our national anthem with their hands over their hearts.” Bob Dearing U.S. Army veteran

“People are more patriotic because of our new leader Donald Trump. I am hoping his wish to support veterans stands firm like he says.” Thomas Randall Tarver National Guard veteran

“I don’t think we are more patriotic. It’s a general reaction to decreased volunteerism. It seems most people care more about their own interests and not those of society. They are not asking what they can do for their country, like John Kennedy said. They are asking what their country can do for them.” John Kerwin

U.S. Air Force veteran

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