Wednesday Nov. 28,
2012
50 cents
Daily Corinthian Vol. 116, No. 286
2012 Christmas Basket Fund “A Community Tradition”
Food basket fund total tops $1,000 The spirit of giving is alive and well in the Crossroads area as donations are beginning to arrive for the 17th Annual Corinth Rotary Club/Daily Corinthian 2012 Christmas Basket Fund. The civic club and newspaper have set a $20,000 community fundraising goal this year so 1,000 food baskets can be given away to local families on Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Crossroads Arena. Please see BASKET | 2A
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• Corinth, Mississippi • 22 pages • 2 Sections
Anti-liquor campaign begins BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
The United Drys want to keep liquor out of Corinth. With 14 days remaining until the special election to decide if liquor will again flow in Corinth, the United Drys group met Tuesday to discuss its battle plan. Composed primarily of local church leaders, the group outlined its strategy for the next two weeks in the upstairs meeting room of the Church of the Crossroads. “We hoped we wouldn’t have to face this again as quickly — but here we are,” said Terry Smith, chairman of the group and youth min-
ister at Foote Street Church of Christ. “We’re not here to pass judgment. We want to inform people and let them know what the actual statistics and faults are behind alcohol.” Part of the group’s plan centers on getting voters to the polls and discouraging voter apathy. Smith said he believes in the existence of enough opposition voters to strike down the liquor movement, if only those voters can be motivated to show up at the polls on Tuesday, Dec. 11. “I know this community, and I can’t believe this will be passed if everybody gets out who is opposed to it,” he said. The group’s primary tactic
will be to focus on statistics that support their position, or “the facts,” and a sustained emphasis on information that rebuts the position of liquor supporters. One argument members anticipate from the supporters of liquor in Corinth is that legal liquor will bring benefits to the local economy. “What are the facts?” asked Smith. “I grew up in Corinth. Most of those years liquor was legal. What do we have to show for that? Point out one thing we have to show. You won’t find anything. That tax money was spent somewhere else.” Smith recalled how Corinth was during the time of legal li-
quor in his teenage years, when he would see drunken drivers swerving through the streets after he left the movie theater on Friday nights and nightclubs springing up in the city. Another issue is money. The group needs more money to buy publicity for its message. While over $950 remains in the group’s treasury from its crusade against liquor six years ago, it will need much more to purchase newspaper space and radio airtime to spread its views. In the lead-up to the previous local liquor referendum, the group spent more than $15,500 on advertising. Please see CAMPAIGN | 2A
Holiday Bazaar benefits 4-H activities BY STEVE BEAVERS sbeavers@dailycorinthian.com
Santa will be there. So will something for everyone. The fifth annual Christmas Holiday Bazaar of Alcorn County 4-H Volunteers will
be Friday and Saturday at the extension service exhibit hall. Vendors will be selling jewelry, candles and other holiday items. “This is an annual event that helps support 4-H,” said 4-H agent Tammy Parker. “I en-
courage everyone to come by and enjoy a day full of shopping.” The holiday spirit begins Friday at 10 a.m. and continues until 7 p.m. Santa makes his arrival Saturday morning and will have breakfast with young-
sters from 8-10 a.m. Cost of the breakfast -- sponsored by the 4-H Mod Squad -- is $3. Parents can take photos with Santa at no charge. There is no admission to the Please see BAZAAR | 2A
Holiday Tent features variety of activities BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Staff photo by Bobby J. Smith
Local youngsters (from left) Lucy Smith, Ruth Sawyer Albright and Milo Hughes get ready for Saturday’s Teddy Bear Tea — one event lined up for this weekend’s Home & Garden Tour at the home of Bailey and Gloria Williams. Lucy, 5, is the daughter of Julia and Russell Smith; Ruth is the 5-year-old daughter of Laura and Trey Albright; and 17-month-old Milo is the son of Lauren and Josh Hughes.
Organizers of the third annual Home & Garden Tour are offering a variety of Christmasthemed activities inside the Holiday Tent on Friday and Saturday. The Holiday Tent will be on the lawn of the Tate Street home of Bailey and Gloria Williams, the showcase home for this year’s Home & Garden Tour. “We’re offering a variety of seminars on different aspects of entertaining guests for Christmas,” said activity coordinator Debbie Tallent. “These are just wonderful additions to the home tour — and all part of the ticket price.” Tickets to tour the Williams home will be available at the door for $10. Funds raised in the weekend event will go to help preserve the historic Verandah-
Curlee House in the heart of old Corinth.
Friday
The Holiday Tent seminars will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday with a seminar on floral design. It will be conducted by Pam Lewis, proprietor of Pam’s Design Department. At noon, Tallent will lead a seminar on holiday wrapping. Tallent is the owner of Deborah Tallent Designs. At 1 p.m., Amy Holloway of George’s Diner will teach participants all about holiday candies. Friday’s final Holiday Tent seminar will be Alisa Pittman’s session on creating holiday arrangements with natural materials. Pittman is the owner of Alisa Pittman Interior Design. Please see TENT | 5A
Longtime funeral director continues making progress toward recovery BY BOBBY J. SMITH bjsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Family members of colorful Corinthian Bill McPeters say the longtime funeral director is making steady progress toward recovery. “Amazing is the only word I have to tell you,” said his daughter, Kayo McPeters. “Two weeks ago, we didn’t think he’d walk out of the hospital. Now his legs are moving and, physically, he’s doing phenomenal.” McPeters suffered third degree burns from his waist down in an accidental fire at his Polk Street home in mid October.
His treatments in Crossgates River Oaks Hospital Burn Center in Brandon include a skin graft on his leg. His daughter emphasized the impact made by the positive thoughts and prayers for McPeters offered up by the Corinth community. “That’s the reason he’s doing so well,” said Kayo. “We’ve been really blessed with all the prayers and good thoughts.” The 89-year-old McPeters is known for his flashy personal style, unflagging sense of humor, penchant for gift giving and all-around benevolence in
the community. Over his many years operating McPeters Funeral Home, he is said to have conducted more than 10,000 funerals. According to his daughter, McPeters is now awake and alert. His family is hopeful that McPeters will be able to move on to the next step of his recovery from the hospital to a rehabilitation center — and then back to his Corinth home. “He’s getting back to his old fussy self,” Kayo said with a laugh. “We believe Dad will be back at Martha’s Menu again soon.”
Index Stocks...... 7A Classified......5B Comics......3B Wisdom......2B
Weather......5A Obituaries......3A Opinion......4A Sports...... 7A
Staff photo by Mark Boehler
Town character Bill McPeters poses for a photo this past summer. He continues to makes progress from severe burns suffered in an October accident, according to family members.
On this day in history 150 years ago Federal forces in Arkansas win a nine-hour fight against the Confederates at the Battle of Cane Hill. Though victorious, the Northerners are far from reinforcements and supplies and General Thomas C. Hindman sees an opportunity to attack the isolated column.
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