BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
A COOL BACKYARD OASIS IS BORN
HEARTH & HAVEN: NEW STORE IS A REPURPOSED DREAM
TRIAL BY FIRE: DUMPS’ BBQ HEATS THINGS UP
JULY/AUGUST 2019 $4.99
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JULY/AUGUST 2019 PUBLISHER Luke Horton EDITORIAL Donna Campbell Brett Campbell Gracie Byrne CONTRIBUTING Kim Henderson Sarah Elizabeth Balkcom Robin Eyman ADVERTISING Kristi Carney Mark Springfield
BROOKHAVEN Magazine is produced and published by The Daily Leader, 128 N. Railroad Ave., Brookhaven, MS 39601. The magazine is published six times a year. For additional information on this issue or other publications or for copies, call 601-833-6961. To inquire about story content, email donna.campbell@dailyleader.com, or to inquire about advertising, email advertising@dailyleader.com. Copyright 2019 © The Daily Leader
BROOKHAVEN A COOL MAGAZINE
BACKYARD OASIS IS BORN
HEARTH & HAVEN: NE W STORE IS A REPURPOSED DREAM
TRIAL BY FIRE: DUMPS’ JULY/AUGUST 201 9
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BBQ HEATS THINGS UP
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ZINE 1
On the cover: Lynn Bozeman and her 8-month-old granddaughter Avery.
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FOOD
TRIAL BY FIRE AT WESSON BBQ JOINT 8
HOME
A BACKYARD OASIS IS BORN
BOOKS
DIETRICH’S ‘STARS’ RELEASED
14
HISTORY
LOFTON’S HAS STORIED PAST
PEOPLE
THE HANDS OF TIME
SHOP 22
A REPURPOSED DREAM
DAYTRIP
SAND, SUN, FUN IS CLOSE
26
28
THE REST
PHOTO ESSAY
38
SOCIAL SCENES
41-46
GARDEN
49
30
34
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food JULY/AUGUST 19
Above: Ken and Kris Sullivan of Dump’s BBQ. Page 11: Barbecue is all about smoke, and generating that key ingredient at Dump’s BBQ is this open pit, manned by Ken Sullivan and Darell “Jack” Broughton (right).
Story & photos by Donna Campbell 8 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
TRIAL BY FIRE DUMP’S BBQ HEATS THINGS UP IN WESSON
I
f barbecue is an art, then STORY AND PHOTOS BY KIM HENDERSON Dump. The restaurant is named in heat and smoke fill the most his honor. important wells on the palette. Far from being dumpy, though, Rubs are in the mix too, as is mopping (with the building’s interior boasts six months of sauces). Then there are brines and injections. renovations. Rustic tin accents, polished concrete Smoke rings and the crusty surface called “bark.” floors and a giant sliding barn door all signal there’s The finishing touch? Knowing just the right time to a new vibe in town. It plays out in bright yellow say, “Done.” walls (a nod to Kris’ Cuban DNA) and a hip and That’s why mastering meat-worthy techniques homey room called the “Pig Pit,” a closed-off can take years, like in the case of Ken Sullivan. alcove outfitted with couches, wifi and a screen He developed his skills over decades on backyard playing a steady stream of ball games and Disney grates and annual holidays, but a slow-roasting movies. Kris says the family space has been a assignment in 2017 stretched him to new limits. surprise hit. “Moms love it. They can relax and eat “Kris wanted a cochon de lait for her birthday,” their Keto pulled pork salad while their kids have Ken explains, referring to his wife’s desire for homemade mac & cheese. Then they take a rib plate one of Louisiana’s signature barbecue dishes. In home to “Dad.” a week’s time, he built a make-do pit, suspended That’s all fine and good, but for a barbecue a suckling pig above its embers, and gave Kris a joint to succeed, a real pit is required. At Dump’s birthday feast to remember. While he was at it, Ken it’s an open-air addition out back, hand-built by fueled a desire that had kindled since his teens. the owners in the traditional style. “Just good old “I’d always dreamed of having a restaurant. country ingenuity,” jokes Kris. Whenever I traveled, I’d check out the local dives and take notes,” he says. Those dreams became a brick-and-mortar reality last October when the he and Kris opened Dump’s BBQ, a downtown Wesson eatery that’s gaining a savory reputation one smokey bite of ribs, sausage, and pork tenderloin at a time. Now, about the name. Ken’s dad was a 1940s baby with a plump figure and dimples in his cheeks, thus the nickname “Baby Dumpling,” just like the son of popular cartoon figures of that time, Dagwood and Blondie. Eventually he was lovingly called a shortened version,
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Ken shares pitmaster duties with his longtime friend, Darell “Jack” Broughton. “Jack brings intense loyalty to our team. He’s like a brother. I wouldn’t have wanted to do this restaurant without him,” Ken says. Tending a wood fire takes time and labor, something many barbecue outlets chose to forego in this day of electric smokers. That’s why ‘cueing-inclined customers often ask Ken for a quick tour of the pit area. “Happens every day,” he smiles. There, they’ll usually find a rack of dry, flavorful ribs (not too fatty) on the grate. A pile of popular Wilson’s Meathouse sausage, registering low or no on the heat scale, will probably be slow smoking beside it. Since stoking the first fire, Dump’s has sent daily smoke signals clear across town, causing more than one shopper at Mill Town Mall to come calling. Employees at Trustmark also say whiffs in the drive-through window are a constant temptation. But Mamie Sherrod, head teller, points out there’s more to Dump’s than what’s wafting through the air. She’s a big fan of what’s on the table beside her tumbler of sweet tea — the Sullivan secret-recipe clear barbecue sauce. Sherrod and her friends admit they don’t just use it on their meat. It’s good on fries and salads, too. That’s right. Oddly enough, the star of the menu isn’t smoked. “It’s a recipe that’s been in the family for 60 plus years,” explains Ken, holding a squirt bottle of the sweet, vinegar-based concoction. “It’s completely different from typical red barbecue sauces. Customers buy it by the gallon to take home. It keeps.” But back to meat matters. Customers won’t be disappointed by the generous portions of tender and lean pulled pork they find on Dump’s sandwiches. The chicken is a good selection, too, as well as the pulled pork nacho cheese fries. My top pick? Their smoked pork tenderloin medallions. Besides barbecue, Dump’s offers daily lunch plates including spaghetti, fried pork chops and chicken alfredo. They press more comfort food buttons with menu mainstays like homemade mac & cheese and Nana’s ‘Nanna Pudding. Ken’s crew is also making a foray into the catering market. Recently Dump’s provided two whole hogs and the fixings for a Crystal Springs wedding. Earlier this year they fed nearly 300 guests at Clinical Services Day at King’s Daughters Medical BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 11
Center. According to Clinical Scheduling Coordinator Jennifer Alford, the food got raves. She learned about Dump’s from fellow KDMC employee Angie Williamson. “Ken catered our labor, delivery and nursery department Christmas party,” says Williamson. “He brought four different meats and their clear sauce. It was fantastic, and he’s so personable.” The personable part is most obvious at the physical location. Ken’s hearty hellos and handshakes make locals, travelers, regulars and first-timers alike feel welcome.
“When I was young, I dreamed of having a bar and grill. It wasn’t the right time. God was growing me and changing me. Now, my focus is different. I’m building a brand on familyfriendly,” he says. For Ken, a mortician who managed the body donation at University of Mississippi Medical Center for 20 years, business ownership has been all he hoped it would be and more. “Eating brings people together. I saw the side of somber gatherings for 20 years. Now I get to see the happy ones.” |||||
RECIPES
pepper, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of red pepper. Mix 1 egg with 3 cups of milk. Soak seasoned chops in milk and egg mixture. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon red pepper. Take pork chops from soak and turn in seasoned flour until heavily coated. Fry in vegetable oil at 350 degrees for 6 minutes or until done. Remove chops from oil and place on plate covered with paper towels.
Ms. Kris’s MoonPie a la Mode Pop a double-decker MoonPie into a microwave for 30 seconds. While it’s heating, place a scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream on a plate. Place heated MoonPie beside it. Make a moat of whip cream in the middle. Drizzle with either Hershey’s chocolate or caramel sauce. Top with a cherry. Friday Special Fried Pork Chop Season 6 -8 boneless pork loin chops with 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon coarse black
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DUMP’S BBQ 1033 Church St., Wesson 601-643-6034 HOURS: Monday-Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ken Sullivan: “If church is open, we’re closed.”
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A BACKYARD OASIS IS BORN 14 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
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nstalling a pool is not a project STORY AND PHOTOS BY DONNA CAMPBELL could use the pool there. families should dive into In the meantime, they repaved without proper planning. their driveway to smooth out the That’s the most important lesson Lynn Bozeman potholes and added a parking pad. learned when she and her husband, Neal, decided Bozeman spoke to Entergy again years later to create a backyard oasis for themselves and their and was surprised to learn that technology had four children. improved and it was possible to have the power The Brookhaven couple bought their home lines buried for less than half the price they’d been on Zetus Road in 2001 and though it had a nice quoted earlier to just move them. uncovered patio attached, the sloping backyard It was time to put in their own pool. was bare except for crepe myrtles, pine trees and But first, Bozeman wanted a plan. powerlines that drooped too much. She hired a landscape architect and he drew up With the youngest of their children not yet in plans based on their needs and wants. school when they moved in, they thought a pool Neal Bozeman wanted a basketball court because would be a good addition. the children enjoyed shooting hoops at their “Having an expert, I think that’s wise to spend grandparents’ house. Lynn Bozeman hoped for a the money early on so you’re not running into tennis court. They knew they wanted a rectangular problems later on,” she said. “That’s the best advice pool and figured they’d build a small pool house for I can give as far as any project in your back yard. It a changing area and a bathroom. will save you time and money in the end.” By working with an architect they were able to Four years after the pool was installed, the figure out what would work best with their budget Bozeman’s children are all out of high school and and space. it’s their granddaughter — 8-month-old Avery — Before they built anything they needed to level who was splashing around and giggling this week. the sloping backyard. The space the Bozemans created was worth the They took down 20 pine trees, had the power time it took to turn their vision into a family retreat, lines and phone lines buried and trucked in dirt to she said. get rid of the slope. When Bozeman first considered having a pool “I lost count of how many loads of dirt we built, she called Entergy about the utility pole and brought in,” she said. lines in the backyard. To move the pole to the back They went with a basketball half-court and of the property and divert the lines away along the nixed the tennis court since Lynn could play at the yard’s perimeter would have cost about $12,000. country club where they remain members. “It was very obvious that it was not something we The basketball court was a place they figured needed to do at that time,” she said. would be a great hangout for the children and their So they spent their family time sweating on the friends. uncovered patio watching the kids play on their “Even back then, I thought that one day we’d trampoline and when it got too hot, they cooled off have grandchildren and it would be a place where in an inflatable pool. they could ride their riding toys,” she said. They decided instead of building a pool they’d It is also a feature that is accessible year-round. pay off their home and make other improvements. “It’s not just for summer,” she said. “You know And since Brookhill on Natchez had opened down the way our weather is you can get out there any the street not long after they moved to the area, they time of year and shoot basketball.” BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 15
When it came time to choose their pool design she turned to Lantz Foster with Madison County Rocks and Pool, who was recommended by family members. “Having an expert, I think that’s wise to spend the money early on so you’re not running into problems later on,” she said. “That’s the best advice I can give as far as any project in your backyard. It will save you time and money in the end.” Bozeman, whose family owned a pool when she was growing up, wanted a traditional rectangular white pool with a layout that matched their house. “I wanted it to look like when you walked into the backyard that it was always there,” she said. They chose gunite rather than a traditional pool liner. A vinyl liner pool is less expensive to install than a gunite pool but likely won’t last as long. Bozeman’s parents had a gunite pool and she and her husband believe the investment up front will save them money over time. “It costs more on the front end so you don’t have to replace liners,” she said. She chose a tanning ledge on the shallow end closest to the house which includes a spot for a large shade umbrella. The pool itself is 6 feet at the deepest and includes a waterfall feature on the opposite end and an attached hot tub on the side. The hot tub also serves as a water feature and when the heating element isn’t on, it makes a great kiddie pool, she said. A quartet of cushoined chairs surround a brick fire pit by the pool. When they first envisioned the back yard area, they wanted a small pool house. But at the same time, they’d thought about renovating their home. It’s an older house and they considered expanding the living area by knocking out walls but they decided it made more sense to build a bigger pool house and let that be the “house” expansion. It’s a two-story pool house with an open floor plan downstairs that includes a large kitchen, dining area and entertaining area with a pool table and large-screen television. There is a guest bedroom upstairs.
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Bozeman reasoned that they’d need the extra space when the other three children are married and Avery has more cousins. “It’s just a great place to be able to gather and that’s exactly what we’ve used it for,” she said. When Abby and Meredith are home from Mississippi University for Women, they host viewing parties of their favorite shows and invite their friends to come watch in the pool house. “They can have their own space,” she said. The larger kitchen comes in handy for the holidays. Again, planning proved to be important when it came to deciding where the pool house would go. “Think about where you’re facing the sun in the morning and the afternoon. That’s where experts come in,” she said. They completed the backyard in three phases. Their plan came in to play because they needed to pour concrete at three different times. The basketball half-court was built first. The pool came next. It was ready for plumbing and water by the fall of 2014, but she convinced Foster to hold off until the pool house was finished. Work on the house began in the winter of 2014 and it was finished in May, then Foster came back and finished the pool. That kept construction materials and equipment from causing problems with the pool. Because they didn’t rush through the project, it gave them time to pay along the way and make changes to the original
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plan when an opportunity presented itself. When a contractor showed her an odd, empty space between the patio and parking area that didn’t match the landscape, they decided to create an outdoor grilling area and kitchen. Now there is plenty of storage and counter space, a sink, refrigerator and grill. They also covered the patio. “You couldn’t enjoy it. We’d grill off of it but you really didn’t want to go sit out there. It was too hot,” she said. Now it’s one of her favorite spots to sit under the ceiling fans in one of the comfortable chairs or in the swing and enjoy the tranquility of the waterfalls or the laughter of her children and their friends. They’ve used their pool area to host church youth group events, baby and wedding showers and senior class parties. Missionaries stayed in their pool house while visiting Easthaven Baptist Church to speak about their work overseas. Jacob’s college friends have stayed over when visiting and used the guestroom in the pool house. Having the backyard retreat has served the family well. “You don’t have to have a pool. You don’t have to have an outdoor kitchen or a pool house to enjoy your family. You don’t have to have any of those things,” she said. “But it has served a purpose that I didn’t even see initially. That’s been a blessing.” |||||
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cassiemathisphotography@gmail.com cassiemathisphotography.squarespace.com
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THE BEST IN LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS AND OPINION IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. IN PRINT & ONLINE. BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 21
books JULY/AUGUST 19
Author, columnist, musician, storyteller Dietrich publishes novel By Brett Campbell
H
ave you ever watched a grinning child beaming with an odd mixture of pride and humility as adults and friends congratulate him on something he did well? An unexpected home run that he thought would be a single, a first-place ribbon on a landscape he painted because the teacher said he had to, a piano recital that went perfectly even when he’d messed up every single time in rehearsal. Picture that smile, that look of “I can’t believe I actually pulled it off.” Now you know the expression that lives on the face of a redheaded man-boy from the Florida Panhandle named Sean Dietrich. Better known to most as “Sean of the South,” Dietrich has a novel that officially released the second week of July. Entitled “Stars of Alabama,” it’s not the first novel he’s written, but it is the first published by a major book publisher. A representative from Thomas Nelson Publishing contacted Dietrich and said the company was interested in him because of his daily blog posts and his weekly podcasts. Did he happen to have a book he was working on? A few interchanges later, and Dietrich has a four-book deal with the publisher that includes another novel and two nonfiction books. Dietrich has wanted to be a writer since he was a child, cutting his favorite columnist’s offerings out of his uncle’s newspapers. But life didn’t take him the route he would have chosen, and he’s seen maybe more than his fair share of hard times. His father committed suicide when he was a young boy, leaving him, his younger sister and mother to learn how to live in the dark, confusing aftermath. It’s an event that shaped his life in many ways and a topic he’s not afraid to address in his podcast, live shows, columns and other writings. The first column he posted on his SeanoftheSouth.com blog was entitled “Nicknames.” It went online Aug. 2, 2014. It was all of 235 words long, short for the average column, and had only one submitted comment. Now the average
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length of his columns is 900 words and they garner quite a bit more comments, especially when his blog posts on Facebook are considered. His columns appear each week in The Daily Leader. The “Sean of the South” podcast, recently chosen by “Southern Living” as one of the 50 essential things to make part of your summer, started its new season July 6. With more than 75 episodes under his belt, the vibrant storyteller has put his $57 investment into a microphone and “podcasting equipment” to good use. He began the podcast in December 2017 and each episode features reader mail, music acts and his signature stories of life in the South. Dietrich has self-published a few books of his short stories — including an eponymous volume, “The South’s Okayest Writer” and “Caution: This Vehicle Makes Frequent Stops for Boiled Peanuts” — and two novels. “Stars of Alabama” follows the overlapping stories of a teenage preacher, a teen single mother, a small family traveling without a father and a couple of rough and tumble handymen during the era of the Great Depression. Their stories are filled with heartache and hope, laced with wickedness and kindness, love and laughter. it’s a story that is as refreshing and encouraging as it is insightful and entertaining. It begs to be made into a miniseries. I talked with Sean recently about this new novel and a few other things. BC: I absolutely love “Stars of Alabama.” I read as much as I could the day that I got it, and I finally put it down because it was about 1:30 in the morning and I needed to get some sleep. SD: Oh, man, I appreciate it. Well, you flatter me. I got so wrapped up in it, I didn’t even know if it was good or not. I never got a feeling like, ‘Wow, I nailed it’, I guess because I was too far in. But it makes me feel good that you like it. BC: When the idea for this story first came to you, was it “Here’s a story that I want to tell,” or was it, “I’m going to start writing and see what happens?” SD: It was kind of more or less the latter, for me. Originally, the very first part I wrote never even made it into the book. I mean, I wanted to tell certain stories. And then about midway I kind of let the characters take me along. Really, the
book kinda wrote itself, which I’ve never experienced before. So that was kind of fun. So a little mixture of both. I knew I wanted to tell a story about a baby who was raised unconventionally. I knew I wanted to tell unconventional family stories. BC: It was easy for me to see some of these characters come to life. Were any of them based on people you knew, or partly based on real-life people? SD: The handy man Paul was kind of based upon my late father-in-law. There were a lot of elements of him in that character. In my mind he was my late father-in-law. And certain parts of Marigold were based on my mother a little bit. Ruth was kind of like a highspirited child who always reminded me of my sister, a little bit. So definitely some players in my life were certainly a palette to draw some personality types from in my mind. BC: Why set this in the Great Depression? SD: That era to me is the most defining part of American history, or — more importantly — rural history, or rural Southern history. The best and the worst in people’s personalities and character came out to me, because it was a struggle. I still feel like people who endured that era came away with a different grasp on life than any era that came after them. So I wanted to pay homage to that because I wanted to tell the story about people who could find love and healing in the worst time of American history. it was about as close to Judgment Time as any one of my ancestors would have thought you could get. BC: You gave us as readers enough description of characters and locations that we could picture kind of what you had in mind, but also I felt like we had freedom to use our own imagination there. SD: Well, I appreciate you saying that. That means a lot to me. It’s hard for me to get into books that use a lot of descriptors. They are tiring for me. Now that’s a personal preference and I know that’s a popular device in writing. I always liked “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” C.S. Lewis used hardly any descriptors and yet he created this entire world. He used that to his advantage by letting people imagine what they would. That was a big thing for me. I wanted my descriptions to be very, very limited. There are some books even now that I read and they’ve got 10 sentences about
what the color of the grass was, and whatever. When I get to that, I’m done. That’s just me. That is totally a preference. In my process it’s probably lack of skill in one way. I don’t write with that kind of poetic, lavish kind of words and all that. So to keep it at minimum only serves me because there’s only so much that I can say. I just kind of say it. I’m done and just move on. BC: You can rightly be called a talented artist, musician, singer, storyteller and a pretty good beard grower. So what makes the title of “author” so special to you? SD: Because when I think “author,” I think someone who really deserves that title. I think of someone who went to school and studied literature and the things they really needed to study, and that I kind of just snuck into the back pew and found my way somewhere and I’m just kind of pretending. I don’t really fit with the likes of the “real crowd.” The title of author just seems so official, you know? “Musician” — that just sounds like I’m homeless. “Author” is so polished, and so when somebody says that to me, they’re saying “I like what you say just like I like my favorite author.” You’re in their ranks and that means a lot to me. I hate to call myself that, because I don’t know that I consider myself a super good writer. I like to tell stories — and maybe I’m an OK storyteller — but I know enough about writing to know that I’m not a great writer. But I do love stories. BC: When you sit down to write your columns is there a formula or a routine? SD: Yeah. When I sit down to write I will do one of a few things. I will sit down and I’ll use a typewriter or I use a word processor where you can’t go back, that’s the key. I’ll just start writing — no editing while I’m writing — I’ll just write. I’ll get to a point where it’s finished or the story is finishing itself and then I’ll leave it alone for a few hours. Then I’ll transfer the file to my computer or I’ll take a picture of my typed pages and load them into the computer, and then I will edit just a million bazillion times usually until right about 2:30 p.m. And then I will go for a run, a walk, or I’ll go fishing down by where we live real close to the bay. I’ll do something that saves my life — my disengaging thing for my own mental health. Then, I drink beer around 4 o’clock or 4:30 p.m. before dinner. After dinner and maybe a little TV, I’ll go in the bedroom and use my laptop or my phone and I will keep editing, keep editing until around 11:27 p.m. and I post
it and — this is just blog stuff I’m talking about now — and then I’ll edit it maybe 10 more times while it’s online and then I will go to bed. And then I will wake up and do it all over again. Unless I’m out of town. If I’m out of town I’ll do a whole different routine, but I do have a routine for while I’m out of town, too. BC: Do you think that routine helps you stay on track with writing like you want to write? SD: The routine helps me do less. If I don’t have the routine, I’ll just kind of scattergun it and I will do way too much and I won’t ever have any rest, you know? So the routine helps me kind of adhere to rules. I stick to it pretty naturally because I’m a routine-oriented guy. When I don’t, I pay for it. I’m better off just sticking to my routine. I’m better off not deviating. For instance, I could never come up with new copy past like 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I’m just, I’m shot. My mind is gone. So it’s always got to be morning or early afternoon, and likewise it’s really hard for me to edit in the mornings. I can only really edit in afternoons, that’s when my mind is kind of like rested enough to do more like passive editing. BC: Why do you post your daily blogs online at 11:27 p.m.? Is there anything special about that time? SD: Well, yes and no. I was born 1,127 feet south of the Mason-DIxon line. So that’s kind of where that number comes from. But that’s purely coincidental and it’s kind of a joke. But I accidentally posted at 11:27 when I was trying to stay up until midnight one night. And then I thought, well, this must be meant to be. What are the odds that I posted at 11:27? There really are no coincidences; maybe everything is for a reason. BC: If a reader was to come away with just one idea, one feeling, one anything after reading “Stars,” what do you hope that would be? SD: That anybody who goes through crap or anybody who suffers really inherits a superpower without even knowing it. And suffering itself is sort of a gift, whatever form it comes in. It doesn’t feel like it, and it doesn’t seem like it till you look at it from a totally detached position, but it is a pretty great gift. And I wanted my main characters to suffer but I wanted to tie the two — suffering and a talent for helping other people — I wanted that to be kind of one and the same. So, that’s my thought. But I tried not to make that the main thrust, or the only thrust. BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 23
BC: I’m looking forward to reading whatever comes out next. SD: Yeah, this next one that I’ve been working on, there were some spots that were just almost too hard to write — but it was more or less my life, the relationship with my father and all that. At the end, though, it was the most healing thing I ever did. So I’m excited about it. I’m still working on that, but I’m excited about that one, too. I had no idea until I started doing this, no idea that depression and suicide was so common. I mean, I hear it everywhere we go. I know that I’m going to hear two or three people come up to me and mention suicide specifically or there will be a whole lot more talking about depression, stuff like that. It’s sad to me, it’s so sad, but that’s kind of been part of my rebirth because I grew up kind of depressed. And now, just knowing that other people go through it has done so much for me. Not a whole lot has changed for me, but just knowing that other people go through that crap has helped. I don’t know how it does, but it does. It’s been extremely healing to me personally. Recently, one of my buddies said, “Hey, I really
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noticed something lately in your writings. I’ve noticed that you’re happier. You don’t go to the dark spots as often as you used to.” And I thought, “Wow. it’s probably because I’ve spent the last year, six hours a day sometimes, on that book.” It was so much about my father that I have truly gotten a lot of the pus out that was in there. It takes 70,000 words — or whatever it takes for somebody is going to be different. But I was thinking last night maybe I’ve finally come to one of the highest places of healing that I’ve ever known just now. Maybe. I hope so. I hope so. I just want to laugh more and rest more and have more fun. The whole entire beginning of my life was just not fun. Not a day was fun. And now for the first spot in my life we’re having fun and we’re giving ourselves permission to have fun. Nothing’s majorly changed except my sister and I have given ourselves more permission to have fun. That’s all I want in life. My goal is just to enjoy my life. ||||| “Stars of Alabama” is available as an e-book, audiobook, hardback and paperback wherever books are sold.
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history JULY/AUGUST 19
STORY BY BRETT CAMPBELL
A storied past, a colorful future
R
ecent visitors to downtown Brookhaven have noted the construction and renovation taking place at what is commonly known as the old Lofton’s building. Property owner John Lynch says he is having it remodeled into living and retail spaces — two apartments in the upper rear floors and multiple retail spaces downstairs. Lynch is currently seeking tenants for both sections. The front of the property is being remodeled according to designs by Brookhaven artist and doctor Kim Sessums, who was inspired by photographs of the original Arcade Theatre that once occupied the property. The building was originally constructed just over 100 years ago, in 1916, by Lincoln County lumberman and entrepreneur Charles Butterfield. The Brookhaven Leader newspaper reported
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on July 20, “C.S. Butterfield, who recently purchased the property adjoining Abrams Bros., on the north, contemplates the erection at once of an up-to-the-minute moving picture theatre. It will be thoroughly modern in every appointment and a fine improvement for Front Street. The theatre, which will seat 600, will be reached through an arcade fifty feet long flanked by small stores on each side. Grady Ford has contracted to lease the theatre.” The theater, aptly named the Arcade Theatre, opened for business on Nov. 30 that same year as “the best equipped movie play house in this section,” according to The Brookhaven Leader. A December 1916 newspaper advertisement for Pat’s Smoke House points customers to its new establishment in the Arcade
building. “Pat’s Smoke House is not prepared to take on any country produce, but will do its best to entertain the crowd and provide for the wants of the inner-man. If you are looking for amusement or eatables visit this place. If you can not get in the Smoke House, on account of the crowd, don’t forget that Pat has a bran (sic) new place across the street in the Arcade Building, and say, it’s a beauty. It is called the ‘Sweet Shop’.” By early 1917, the theater was hosting programs of “sacred music.” In a notice promoting its second such event, attendees were asked to attend a meeting following the program “to consider the continuation of these programs. Suggestions are asked of any one interested in community singing as to the best means of making it a permanent institution.” The first movie to be shown in the Arcade was “The Crisis,” which could better be described as a live entertainment event that also featured film. Accompanied by a symphony orchestra and an operating company of 20, this one-day only event in March 1917 portrayed the Civil War siege of Vicksburg. The year of 1921 saw a tailor shop open in the spring in one of the building’s retail spaces — E. B. Guess Tailoring Company — and the late-summer introduction of matinee movie runs, the first being “The Life of the Party,” starring Fatty Arbuckle. “Many requests for the afternoon performance have been made by interested movie fans,” wrote a reporter for the Leader. These fans “now will not lack for ‘somewhere to go’ for their own or guests’ entertainment.” Ten cent admission Saturday morning “Kiddy Shows” were introduced by Arcade manager Clyde E. Noble in December 1925. This was a significant occasion for the city, being one of the first cities in the South to be offered the weekly service. Noble told the Leader he was excited to get involved because he believed it would serve the children and community by offering educational entertainment. “The Jazz Singer” was the first live-action movie featuring synchronized sound. This “talkie” was released into theaters in 1927. Two years later, the first “talkie” made its way to the Home Seekers Paradise with “Show Boat.” “The epoch-making Vitaphone and Movietone singing and talking pictures had their first showing in Brookhaven at the Arcade Theatre with ‘Show Boat’ July 4, 5 and 6,” read the newspaper’s 1929 writeup on the historic event, “and the novelty and excellence of the elaborate production attracted large and appreciative audiences.” By 1935, the Arcade’s management had been considering a move for some time and had begun leasing the Sarphie Theatre location on West Cherokee Street, owned
by the Perkins family. Jack E. Sarphie had opened his rival theater in June 1931 but kept it operational less than four years. That spring, Noble began renovations and upgrades to the building and relocated the Arcade Theatre from the Arcade building to its new location, rebranding with a new look and name as The
Haven Theatre. The Arcade building was purchased in 1938 by W. D. Lofton, owner of The Hub mercantile shop, who revamped the entire building, including the space then occupied by Della’s Eat Shop and the then-vacant adjoining building to the north of the Arcade. Lofton had the partitions separating retail spaces removed and expected to have “the most modern and up-to-date store in Brookhaven,” according to newspaper reports. “Lofton’s, Brookhaven’s largest store, invites you to their formal opening, Thursday, September 8th, in their brand new store building,” read the one-sentence Brookhaven Leader article published the day prior to the grand opening. It was the mercantile’s fourth incarnation and its most grand. “My grandfather, W. D. Lofton Sr., purchased the building in 1938 and converted it from the Arcade movie theater into a department store,” said Brookhaven resident Bill Lofton. “They carried men’s and ladies’ clothing, gift items, bridal selections, shoes, things for the home, etc.” In the early 1960s, W. D. Lofton Jr. and his brother Charles “Chid” Lofton purchased the business from their father, who died not long after, in 1963. The brothers added onto the back of the building and expanded into sporting goods and floor coverings. “I worked there growing up,” said Bill, “and came back to be part of the operation, to manage the store, in 1973, I believe.” When his father died in 1993, Bill joined his Uncle Chid in ownership of the store. In 1998, they closed out and sold the full inventory of the department store, keeping the sporting goods and flooring departments. “We moved retail sporting goods to the front part of the building and my uncle continued to operate floor coverings in the back part of the building,” Lofton said. The third-generation Lofton’s owner left the business in 2002, selling his inventory, and his uncle continued to run the flooring business until his death in 2008. The family liquidated the remainder of the inventory, and sold the building to Terry and Hollie Pappas in 2014 or 2015 — neither Bill nor Hollie could recall exactly when. The Pappases sold the property to the current owner, Lynch, in the summer of 2017. The building has had a long life in a downtown that prides itself on preserving history. It has endured multiple remodels and varied tenants. With all its storied past, perhaps its future will be just as colorful. |||||
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people JULY/AUGUST 19
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GRACIE BYRNE
The hands of time 28 BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE
R
alph Smith can often be found adding links to a band or replacing a battery on a watch. He knows the ins and outs of a watch — and the business too. His love of watch repair began early in life. When he was in the fourth grade, he found himself tinkering with a small “dollar watch” while in class. While trying to repair it, one of the springs flew out and rolled under the teacher’s desk. The teacher scolded him and then told him he needed to stay in from recess so he could fix the watch. “I don’t know where it came from or why I had it, but I took it apart and put it back together, made it run,” Smith said. More than 80 years later, Smith is still fixing watches, but now he’s praised for his work. Smith, 94, has worked in the jewelry business since 1949 — all of those in Brookhaven. He always enjoyed fixing things, and got his start by working at the movie theater in high school. He ran the projection screens, along with helping the owner with other odd jobs around the business. In March of 1943, a lot of things happened in Smith’s life. He turned 18, graduated from high school and enlisted in the Navy. He celebrated his birthday, traveled to New Orleans to enlist and came back in time for graduation.
SMITH HAS SPENT 70 YEARS IN JEWELRY BUSINESS
While in the Navy, Smith was able to travel all around the United States. He was in the Navy for three years before getting out in 1946. When he came home, he went back to work at the movie theater in Monticello. One day his boss asked him something that changed the course of his life. “You ever thought about doing watches or something?” Smith’s boss asked him one day. His boss told him he was good with his hands and that he thought Smith could be good at it. After some time, Smith visited a friend of his father who worked at Strauss-Stallings Jewelers in Jackson. He was told that he could find schools all over the country to learn watch repair and he could get the GI Bill to pay for it. And so, he did. After looking at his options, he found a school in Missouri to attend. Smith went to a school in Kansas City for two and a half years, where he learned watch repair and how to make parts for watches. He also learned jewelry repair and engraving. While in school, Smith met his future wife, who at the time worked as a secretary. She didn’t meet anyone in Smith’s family until it was three days before the wedding, when she met her soon to be mother-in-law on the train to Mississippi. “She loved my family, and they loved her, so it worked out good,” Smith said. “She had more faith than I had. She had never been to Mississippi.” In 1949, the couple wed and Smith began working at a jewelry store in Brookhaven. A friend of his had bought an old jewelry store, and Smith worked there for three months before he was asked if he’d like to buy the store from him. After discussing the matter with his wife, they went to Monticello to see if Smith’s old boss would be interested in being
co-owners with them. He agreed, and so Smith Jewelry was theirs. “He wrote us out a check that night and we came back and bought the store,” Smith said. They owned the store for nearly 50 years before selling to Terry Leary in 1998. During that time, he and his wife raised a family. They have two daughters and a son. Even though Smith doesn’t own the store anymore, he still works whenever he’s needed. Whether it’s replacing a watch battery or fixing a necklace, he’s there to get the job done. Leary began working for Smith when he was 15 years old. After being trained by Smith in watch and jewelry repair, he got into the business as well. He bought the store in 1998 and worked there until his passing this year. The store has changed hands and has been remodeled a few times throughout the years, but it still stands as Smith Jewelry. “Just getting a finished job and getting the customer good service,” Smith said. “That’s what makes them come back, if you do it right,” Smith has adapted to the changes that have come with the passing years. Many watches today often have batteries and are digital, not wind up like traditional watches. “Watch repair has changed a lot in the last few years,” Smith said. “It’s changed the work we do on them. Other than that they’re pretty fool proof.” He remembers a time when a customer would drop off their watch, pick it up after he’s repaired it and then they’d drop it and he’d have to repair the part all over again. “It wasn’t our fault.The watches wouldn’t take the shock they do today,” Smith said. Smith said his favorite part of the business is helping customers. “Just meeting the people and doing something that satisfies them,” Smith said. ||||| BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 29
shop JULY/AUGUST 19
F
A repurposed dream
ive-year-old Whitlea Bunyard opens the It’s a dream come true for the West Lincoln STORY & PHOTOS wooden front door and welcomes visitors into woman. BY DONNA CAMPBELL her grandmother’s store, Hearth & Haven. Darbonne’s family settled in Loyd Star when The sweet ginger skips and twirls her way along she was a toddler. Her father, Jerry Sullivan, was the hardwood floor, pointing out some of her a pastor there for 32 years before he retired and favorite things — paintings of cows, unicorn bathbombs and moved to West Lincoln with her mother, Glenda. neon orange and green bowling balls with painted faces that she Darbonne and her husband moved, too, and built a home near has named Roll and Kate. She pokes her fingers into Roll’s eyes them. and giggles. At 65, Sullivan decided to start home mission work. He soon The store, located in a repurposed duplex that was previously moved his church from his house to his tractor shed, then to a the home to a retail shop, sits on West Chickasaw Street in the small church that could seat about 75 to 100, then finally into block between South Whitworth Avenue and South Jackson a Solid Rock Pentacostal Church on Hwy. 84 West that holds Street. about 400. Gwen Darbonne’s is purchasing Salena Greenlee’s Inside Out Sullivan recently turned 80. and is renting the building. “And he’s still going strong,” Darbonne said.
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Church is where Darbonne became the go-to person for design questions. She started distressing furniture several years ago and it grew to helping pick out paint colors for people. Then staging rooms became designing home interiors. “They’d call me up, ‘Can you come and do this?’ or ‘Come look and see how you can help me?’” she said. Darbonne has no formal training, just a good eye. Designers Billy Martin and Cathy Pigott made a huge impact on her when they worked together. Pigott taught her about color analysis. “I will not say that I am a match to them by no means. They are top of the line. They have got a wonderful eye for all kinds of decorating,” she said. Darbonne started working on her own at home, decorating for people from church and other acquaintances. She’s received numerous requests from friends this past year to add her flair to various rooms. Many of the items she’d use for staging came on approval from one of her favorite stores in Brookhaven, Inside Out. Opening her own store had been on her mind for a while. “It’s been a dream of mine for several years but I never thought it would come to me,” she said. Greenlee approached Darbonne with a plan to retire, but she wanted someone who would take over her store and keep her dream alive. “Salena and her husband and I talked about it and they felt like they wanted to offer it to me to see if I wanted to purchase it. They felt like I’d do a good job of letting their dream live on,” Darbonne said. She talked with her family, who pledged to help. “So here we are. It’s been a wonderful experience. I love it,” she said. Darbonne opened Hearth & Haven in May. She’s helped by her daughters, Holli Bunyard and Gerica Brister. Her son, Nathaniel, is a minister in Louisiana. Bunyard, Whitlea’s mom, is also a photographer and artist who draws and paints. Some of her work will soon be available for purchase in the store.
DARBONNE OPENS HEARTH & HAVEN IN FORMER INSIDE OUT STORE
Top: Hearth & Haven is located on West Chickasaw Street in the former Inside Out. Above: Holli Bunyard looks at a window frame she turned into an art piece with old newspapers. Next page: Gwen Darbonne and granddaughter Whitlea Bunyard choose their favorite paintings at the store.
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“She can do just about anything she puts her mind to do,” Darbonne said. While the store is open five days a week — it’s closed Wednesdays and Sundays — Darbonne and her daughters are also available to provide consultations and design work for clients. They go into homes and can redo just a room or an entire house. “We can go however far a person wants to with their budget,” she said. They can repurpose clients’ own belongings, use their own inventory or search for the perfect pieces on a client’s wish list. Sometimes creating the perfect look takes all three. “If they can tell me what they like and the colors that they like, we will make sure that we can get to make their needs,” she said. “If I don’t have it, somewhere, somebody will and we can go in that direction. We will track that down for them. They don’t have to track it down.” The 3,200-square-foot store is a mixture of Greenlee’s inventory from Inside Out and items Darbonne has added. Some are repurposed items they’ve created and furniture they’ve built. Darbonne loves the blend of new and old, and old that can be turned into something new. She also loves neutrals. Her store is filled with beige, sage, cream and gray. She considers her style farmhouse elegance, with touches of brass, gold and silver. She’s also partial to French country. The store, which was once a duplex, is divided into several rooms. Without doors, the floor plan allows customers to wander freely from room to room looking at the items for sale. One room has become a boutique within the home interior and gift shop. Darbonne is carrying blouses and dresses in regular and plus sizes. She said adding the boutique to the store makes sense because clothes are a part of people’s lives and it’s how they decorate themselves. The other rooms in the store are filled with paintings, vases, frames, mirrors, wood art pieces, furniture and lots of greenery in the form of succulents and root ferns. One room in the back of the store has pops of color and whimsical items like an owl pot and the aforementioned Roll and Kate, who sit on black pedestals and can keep watch over a flower garden. The name for the store came after some brainstorming. It wasn’t their first choice, but when they heard it they knew instantly it was the right one. Darbonne is a fan of decorator Joanna Gaines and her brand is Hearth & Hand. Darbonne wanted to include Haven as a nod to the Home Seekers Paradise. “We put them together and it had a ring. Hearth & Haven. It sounded good,” she said. |||||
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daytrip JULY/AUGUST 19
SAND, SUN, FUN IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK STORY BY ROBIN EYMAN
W
aterparks, amusement parks and more than 26 miles of sandy white beaches make the Mississippi Coast a perfect daytrip choice for summer family fun. With a drive of less than three hours from Brookhaven, take your pick of outdoor and indoor activities, wear out the kids (and yourself!) and be home by bedtime. If you’re looking for water-related attractions, Gulf Islands Waterpark offers the Coast’s only water roller coaster and many other attractions. The Master Blaster roller coaster allows up to two people at a time to glide on a tube through twists and turns, uphill surprises and adrenaline rushes for more than 500 feet. Its Waveland Waterpool has more than 1,200 square feet of rolling waves; you can swim, body surf or ride the waves in an inner tube, or sit at the shoreline and enjoy the lapping waves. Tube though the Deer Island Express, a 357-foot tunnel slide, or the Cat Island Catapult, a tube slide with a plunge of almost 155 feet. Kids 2 and older and the entire family will enjoy the Ship Island Wreck, a tube ride with twists and turns and a splashy end. Or try the Camille Cutter, a 400-plus-foot rafting adventure for all ages. You can eat a snack or meal at the Petit Bois Island Café and enjoy cotton candy,
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funnel cakes and shaved ice from Polly’s Sweet Spot. Gulf Islands Waterpark, 17200 16th Streets, Gulfport, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The park is closed Thursday and Friday starting Aug. 8, but is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Aug. 31 through Sept. 1. Prices at the door are $37.99 on weekdays and $39.99 on weekends, but you can buy a one-day ticket online for $11.99, according to the park’s website. Towels, loungers and souvenir cups with unlimited refills cost extra. Next door to the Waterpark is the Zip ‘N Fun Adventure Park. Challenge yourself and others in more than 50 tree-to-tree obstacles that include ziplines, sky bridges, swinging logs and a chance to jump like Tarzan. You can move at your own pace and stop mid-way if you need to rest. Spectators can watch for free. Expect to get dirty while you test your physical stamina. The park recommends you wear a fitted shirt, pants or long, fitted shorts, and tennis shoes or other closed-toe, closed-heel shoes. Long hair must be tied back. The park prohibits loose clothing, sandals, short shorts, mid-drift shirts and jewelry. And keep your personal items in your vehicle. Teens and adults can enjoy the Tree Top Adventure, which offers up to three courses. The minimum height is 54 inches and the maximum weight is 275 pounds. The cost is $27.99 to $34.99 per person, plus tax and a transaction fee, depending on the number of courses you pick. If you book online in advance, prices are $24.99 to $31.99. The challenges take 45 minutes to 3 ½ hours. The Junior Course is for kids 36 to 60 inches tall and has 20 challenges that take them just above ground. Guides are nearby, but adults are welcome to walk along and take pictures. The cost is $19.99 per kid for walkups, or $16.99 per kid when booked online in advance. The Junior Course takes about 45 minutes. When summer ends, Zip ‘N Fun is typically open on weekends and school holidays. Many Coast attractions are situated along Beach Boulevard, the beachfront highway also known as U.S. 90. Don’t let your map or GPS confuse you. You can enjoy the water in two ways
with Ship Island Excursions, which offers round-trip ferries from Gulfport and Biloxi to the pristine, blue-green gulf waters around Ship Island. Watch dolphins, spend time on the beach and tour Fort Morgan. Be sure to take sunscreen and pack an ice chest or beach bag. Restrooms, showers and covered picnic areas are available on the island, where you can also rent chairs and umbrellas. Snacks and beverages are available only at the dock in Gulfport. Depart Gulfport (Gulfport Yacht Harbor, U.S. 90 and U.S. 49) at 9 a.m. or noon and leave the island at 2:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. In Biloxi (Margaritaville Resort, 195 Beach Blvd.), leave land at 10 a.m. and leave the island at 2:30 p.m. Walk-up prices are $30 for adults, $20 for children 3 to 10, free for infants up to age 2, and $28 for military and seniors 62-plus, or buy your tickets online. Ship Island Excursions operates through Oct. 27 and re-opens in March. Dolphin watching (1 ½ hours) and a sunset music cruise also are available. Or enjoy a two-hour gulf ride on a paddlewheel boat. The Betsy Ann Riverboat departs 173 Beach Blvd. (between the Margaritaville and Golden Nugget resorts). The main deck is air-conditioned. A restaurant, a full bar and snacks are available. Ride the Betsy Ann for an ecological/historical tour (3 p.m. daily), or a hibachi dinner sunset cruise (7 p.m. Friday and Saturday). Prices range from $25 to $49 for adults and $17 to $40 for children. (The higher prices are for the dinner cruise.) Seniors and military get a $2 discount. Tickets are also available online. If you’re looking for mega fun with arcade games and more, check out the islandinspired Escape & Family Entertainment Center at Margaritaville Resort Biloxi. You’ll find this 55,000-square-foot indoor center at 195 Beach Blvd. Escape is part arcade and part amusement park, and there’s something for all ages, come rain or shine, to include bumper cars, Laser Tag, Go-Karts, bowling, virtual reality games, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and a 48-foot volcano rock wall to climb. Escape has the nation’s first Indoor Cloud Coaster. This attraction is part
zipline, part roller coaster, and will fly you 23 feet above everyone in the Entertainment Center. There’s also skee ball, air hockey, Super Mario Kart, life-size Pac Man, and race and skiing games. To play, you buy a play card: $5 puts 25 credits on your card; $10 gives you 50 credits, and you can pay more and get extra credits. Arcade game prices start at 5 credits. The price of attractions, such as the virtual reality games, range from 15 to 30 credits. You can grab snacks or food at Landshark Bar & Grill, and desserts at the Sweet Shack, which offers ice cream sundaes, fresh fruit purees and an assortment of candy toppings. Escape is open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. The arcade remains open after the attractions section closes at 11:30 p.m. Before you leave, be sure to cash in your winning tickets for prizes. You will find indoor and outdoor attractions at Big Play Family Fun Center, 1836 Beach Blvd., Biloxi. Big Play has 200 arcade games, bumper cars, Laser Tag, Go Karts and an 18-hole miniature golf course. The games and attractions use play cards; Putting $10 on a card gives you an extra dollar of play money. Arcade prices range from 50 cents to $3 per game. You can put $20 to $100 on your card and get $4 to $50 in free play. A two-story Lazer Tag game, with a post-apocalyptic/New Orleans theme, costs $7 to $8. You can knock around in a bumper car for $5 to $6, but you must be at least 40 inches tall and weigh less than 250 pounds. Go Kart rides are $6 to $8. To drive a Go Kart, you must be 16 or older and at least 56 inches; passengers must be 36 inches or taller. Bowling prices are $10 per lane on weekdays ($2 on Tuesdays) before 5 p.m., and $25 on Friday and Saturdays, with a $29 charge after 6 p.m. on weekends. The cost of miniature golf starts at $7 for 18 holes, with a $4 charge for an extra 18 holes. Kiddies 5 and under can play for $3. Big Play opens at 10 a.m. and closes at midnight Tuesday through Thursday, at 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and at 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The complex also sells beer and alcoholic beverages. Its kitchen offers snacks and food including tacos, burgers, pizza and shrimp po-boys. Feeling even more adventurous? Like riding a Go Kart at 55 mph? Then you’ll want to visit Finishline Performance Karting at 1782 Beach Blvd., also in Biloxi. BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 35
Finishline is a state-of-the-art racing complex with two tracks guaranteed to give an adrenaline rush. The cars were built in Italy and have been described as “little Ferrarris.” They run ¾ inch off the track to prevent a flip. You can challenge other drivers and watch your progress on a leaderboard on an LED screen inside your kart. While adult karts have a maximum speed of 55 mph, junior karts have a top speed of 35 mph. Each session at the NASCAR-style tracks is 10 minutes long, allowing drivers to make 16 to 18 laps. The main track is ¾ mile. The junior track is 1,120 feet. Viewing decks allow spectators to see the entire tracks. Adults (60 inches or taller) drive for $26.75 and juniors (at least 52 inches tall) drive for $19.26; taxes are included. On Thursdays, you can buy one ride and get a second for $15. On Mondays, military and first responders can ride for $15. A different option if you have young children up to 10 years old is Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport. The Discovery Center has more than 15,000 feet of hands-on exhibits. The museum is an interactive, educational museum that offers a fun learning experience through hands-on, role-playing, problem-solving and plain old imaginative child’s play. Lynn Meadows’ Super Colossal Climbing Structure simulates the sea and leads to other floors. Kids can travel back in time in a locomotive, don costumes and run a grocery store or hotel, or shop or rent hotel rooms. Kids can star in a talk show, be in a game show or give a live weather or news report. They can “drag the Gulf” for shrimp and use a crane to load bananas. They can design and build science or space projects, make mud pies, read a story page by page on an outdoor Storywalk, and play in a
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treehouse with multiple floors. The exhibits and educational programs are for children through 10 years old, though the entire family can enjoy watching them. The museum has a separate exhibit for toddlers to age 4. Admission is $10 for adults and children. The museum opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday. It closes at 5 p.m. seven days a week during the summer. The Coast also has a number of museums and art galleries for all ages. One of the most well-known is the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, 510 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs. The artist’s work is an example of American modernism. Anderson was known for his depictions of the people of the Gulf Coast, plants and animals. The museum also is dedicated to his brothers, ceramist and potter Peter Anderson (founder of Shearwater Pottery), and painter and ceramist James McConnell Anderson. Admission is $5 to $10 and the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Sunday and major holidays. Another well-known museum is the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 386 Beach Blvd., Biloxi. Its whimsical buildings house equally whimsical artwork dedicated to the ceramics of George E. Ohr, the selfproclaimed “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 to $10 and free for ages 5 and younger.
WHERE TO EAT If you’re looking for kid-friendly restaurants, there are several mom-andpop places that locals recommend. Kids can be a kid at laid-back eateries such as The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint. It’s a
junkyard shack where you eat at picnic tables and kids can play at a park. The Shed is at 7501 Mississippi 57 in Ocean Springs. Darwell’s Café in Long Beach is a casual seafood restaurant with funky digs and outdoor eating at patio tables with colorful umbrellas. You can find Darwell’s at 127 East 1st Street, just off U.S. 90. Port City Café in Biloxi is a cozy, casual full-service restaurant that serves breakfast (its grits are always served hot, not cold!), seafood, burgers and daily specials. Framed posters from Biloxi Seafood Festivals adorn the walls and the black and white floor looks like a checkerboard. Port City is at 2561 Pass Road. Also, there’s a Shaggy’s franchise on the beach in Biloxi with a pirate ship play structure for kids. You can dine at this tropical-style seafood restaurant indoors or at colorful tables on a deck overlooking the Gulf at 1763 Beach Blvd. Shaggy’s also has a restaurant in the Pass Christian Harbor and another across from the beach in Gulfport. The Coast also has 12 casinos which each have buffets and restaurants. The Coast also has many free sights to enjoy, such as the Biloxi Lighthouse, the Hard Rock Biloxi casino’s 112-foot guitar sign, Live Oak trees, palm trees, trees sculptured into sea creature shapes, and many places to eat and shop. Have your picture taken at the historic Friendship Oak Tree, a Live Oak that’s over 500 years old. The tree is on the Long Beach campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, 730 East Beach Blvd. Stop by a marina or small craft harbor and watch the boats, seagulls and an occasional pelican. You may even be able to buy fishermen’s catches as they return to a dock. |||||
Recycling in Brookhaven is successful and ongoing! 35 Gallon Recycling Containers still available at city barn upon request
Plastic bottles and jugs (1&2), steel and aluminum cans, paper, newspaper and cardboard (flatten cardboard boxes if they do not fit in your container) For the continued success of our recycling program, we remind citizens the following CANNOT be recycled: Glass, plastic bags, Styrofoam™, auto fluid or pesticide containers or any type of trash or garbage.
For more information: www.brookhavenms.com This ad is sponsored by the MS Department of Environmental Quality.
BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 37
photo essay JULY/AUGUST 19
BLTeens thrilled audiences for five performances of “Les Misérables: School Edition” at the Haven Theater. Brookhaven native Randy Redd, a stage, film and television actor, writer and director worked with the teenagers for several weeks as part of the Brookhaven Little Theatre drama camp, which culminated with the musical drama.
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social scenes JULY/AUGUST 19
RELAY FOR LIFE FUN WITH DISNEY
Taylor, Flynn and Collins Berry
Liz, Leviand Georgia Warrick
Lilly Gray, Brittany and Jimmy Burgess, Betty and Allie Rose Brown
Hannah Junkin and Sara Kate Teaster
Ashton Rials, Kane Kimble, Laura Spring and Ella Jayne Moore
BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 41
GIRLS NIGHT OUT
Judy, Abi, Presley and Allison Case
Alisa Smith, Sharla Lambert and Ramona Cain
Madalyn Oglesby, Bailey Stewart and Peyton White
Madelynn Thonrton, Samanta Waldon and Jessica Hutchinson
Eileen Causey, Judy Delaney and Melissa Bowman
April Scroggs and Amanda King
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GIRLS NIGHT OUT
Krista Davis, Raini Smith, Mitzi Case and April Norton
Stephanie and Katherine Verucchi
Hannah Henderson, Chloe and Samantha Naeger
Kristin King and Laura Delaune
Brandy White and Jordan Riley
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LES MISÉRABLES AT THE HAVEN
Tori, Sofia and Keith Liberto
Eva Albright and Hali Garton
Julette Redd and Claire Kelly
Cathy Moore, Debbie Lagrone and Carolyn Hennington
Serenity Brock and Nancy Fether
Grace, Judy and Caroline Nations
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LES MISÉRABLES AT THE HAVEN
Larry Baker and Tim Shann
Olivia Hodgson and Connor Cagle
Kay Burton, Karen Behan, Theresa and Carrie Sones
Polly Waterloo, Michelle and Gigi Fitzsimmons
BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 45
DAIRY DAY AT THE FARMERS MARKET
Katie and Jordan Heathcock
Kayla and Patti Alderman
Makayla McDaniel, Mikenzie Hill and Diya Patel
Mekenzie Panhans and Pat Ard
Nathan Bullock and Nathan Berry
Ridge, Annaston, Jax and Swayze Poole
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Serving your family with Christian values
• Honoring ALL policies and arrangements made and written by any other funeral service provider • Most experienced staff to serve your family • Most spacious facility offered in our area • Best priced and most thoughtfully arranged services • Offering the most affordable pricing on pre-arrangements or time of need services • Also offering monuments and markers for all cemeteries for any budget
Serving your family with Christian Values
US-51, Brookhaven, MS | 601-833-6680 www.riverwoodfamily.com • Honoring 76 ALL policies & arrangements • Best •priced & most thoughtfully arranged made & written by any other funeral service services. provider • Offering the most affordable pricing on pre• Most experienced staff to serve your family arrangements or time of need services • Most spacious facility offered in our area • Also offering monuments & markers for all cemeteries for any budget
76 US-51, Brookhaven, MS • 601-833-6680 www.riverwoodfamily.com
Recruiting Plumbers, Pipefitters, Pipe Welders, & Apprentices.
EMPLOYING LOYING O OVER VER 2 2,000 000 S STATEWIDE! TATEWID
From Nuclear Plants, Power Houses, Hospitals, Paper Mills, and other commercial industrial industries. Tommy Newell: 601-638-2546 • Chris Newell: 601-754-5363 Randy Hunt: 918-361-3699
www.uanet.org BROOKHAVEN MAGAZINE 47 3203 N. frontage rd. vicksburg, ms
A Premier Assisted Living Communiy FIVE-STAR SERVICE with a HOME-LIKE FEEL The Aspen of Brookhaven is a 44-suite assisted living community located in quaint Brookhaven, Mississippi. We offer our residents the freedom and independence of living at home, but with the added assistance of a dedicated staff of specialists in senior therapy, healthcare, food preparation and more.
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500 Silver Cross Drive, Brookhaven, MS Phone: 769-300-5380
garden JULY/AUGUST 19
Heat-loving Rudbeckia offer big blooms By Gary R. Bachman
Summer has hit us with a vengeance this year. At my home landscape in Ocean Springs, we’ve experienced some of the highest temperatures in several years. This weekend, we had a heat index above 115, which drove me indoors by about 11 in the morning. You may be like me and find that some of the needed landscape chores are simply not getting done in this heat. But there are some plants that actually shine in this heat. One such group that refuses to wilt with the rest is the Rudbeckia. Rudbeckias are among my summer favorites with their bright and sunny-colored flowers. It’s no wonder that Rudbeckias have been selected as a Mississippi Medallion and All-America Selections winner. Rudbeckias have received recognition in Mississippi for their landscape and garden performance. In 1999, the Rudbeckia Indian Summer was selected as a Mississippi Medallion winner. This same variety previously was an All-America Selection in 1995. It’s no wonder the plant received these honors. Indian Summer has been a reliable performer in our landscape at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi since at least 2008. It really is a showstopper every year. The upright stems are sturdy enough to display huge flowers that can reach a whopping 9 inches across. The petal colors are bright and cheery, ranging from sunshine yellow to warm oranges at the petal bases. Each flower has a delicious-looking, rich chocolate-brown center cone. Cherokee Sunset, an All-America Selection in 2002, is a fantastic choice consisting of a blend of warm autumnal colors in yellow, orange and mahogany bronze. The flowers are big — 3 to 4 inches in diameter — and they are a mix of singles and doubles, especially when grown in full sun. Cherokee Sunset reaches about 24 inches tall, and its sturdy stems hold the large flowers without staking. These plants are a good choice for cutting and using in fall indoor arrangements. Rudbeckia Prairie Sun is a robust selection
with very distinctive blooms. It was selected as an All-America Selection in 2003. The bicolor flowers have orange petals tipped in bright, primrose yellow with lightgreen centers. The size of these 5-inch flowers makes it hard not to notice them wherever they are grown, whether in your landscape or in a large container on the patio. As with the other Rudbeckia varieties, these plants make a fantastic cut flower. Plant all Rudbeckias in full sun for best flowering and color. These plants grow best in compost-amended and well-drained soils, but they tolerate poor, clay soils. While they are known and grown for their tolerance of droughty conditions, lack of water can limit flowering. For best landscape performance, you must keep consistent soil moisture. If you can water during these
times, you will be rewarded with continued flowering. Rudbeckias are all considered lower maintenance plants, but they need deadheading, which is the removal of the fading flowers to keep the plants blooming all summer long. If you are a home gardener growing these beauties, take advantage of their summer-long blooming by bringing the landscape inside with gorgeous cut Rudbeckia stems. These plants are easy to start from seed, so start planning your 2020 landscape right now. Above: The Rudbeckia Cherokee Sunset blends warm, autumnal colors in blooms that are a mix of single and doubles, especially when grown in full sun. (Photo by MSU Extension/Gary Bachman)
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MAGAZINE
‘Garden soil runs in the family’
‘We don’t make food, we make art’ REWRITING HISTORY:
SCULPTOR CREATES THUNDER & LIGHTNING
AUTHOR OPENS THE DOOR TO REVISION
MAY/JUNE 2019
MARCH/APRIL 2019
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