FOR MEMBERS OF SOUTHERN PINE ELECTRIC
A family’s
CHRISTMAS
RIDING A
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WRITING ABOUT
THE BLUES
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outdoors today picture this my opinion grin ‘n’ bare it
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To me, Mississippi means plucking a watermelon from its vine and eating it on the spot. Walking across the field to a neighbor’s house to share the fresh produce you have just gathered from your summer garden and hoping the neighbor is just as excited as you are. That’s Mississippi to me. by Florence S. Young of Noxapater. She is a member of EMEPA
What’s Mississippi to you?
by Michael Callahan Executive Vice President/CEO Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi
What do you treasure most about life in our state? Send your brief thoughts to Today in Mississippi, news@ecm.coop or mail to P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 3
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The laughter continues as I encourage them to catch those little creatures so we can use them as bait on our next fishing adventure.
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A frog, a butterfly here and there, and an influx of earthworms that would have worked themselves above ground to escape the overflow of rainwater that filtered into their hibernation.
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To me, Mississippi means enjoying the laughter of my grandkids as they rumple across the wide-open yard, showing excitement over every little creature in their view.
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sleep until lunchtime. And speaking of lunch, I imagine the family gatherings will be smaller as grandparents and older relatives try to keep themselves safe from COVID-19. My parents have already informed me that a Zoom Christmas is just fine with them. Holiday hugs are gone, unless you can figure out how to hug someone from 6 feet away. Forget about Christmas smiles. You can’t see a smile hidden under a mask. Still, please wear your mask. I’m afraid Christmas 2020 is going to be very different from the Christmases of the past. However, even though our celebrations and traditions might have to change this year, Christmas will never change. Christmas is about hope, love and faith. Hope for our future and the future of mankind. Love of ourselves, our family and our neighbors. Faith in God, that regardless of what we have to deal with in this life, He will always be there for us and as proof He sent us his only Son. Everyone has suffered in 2020. Some lost their jobs, others couldn’t work and suffered financial hardship and many first responders and medical professionals worked long hours and put themselves in harm’s way so that others may live. So, as the year comes to an end, it’s hard for me to deny that we all could use some faith, hope and love. If hanging your Christmas lights early does that for you, then go ahead, I won’t argue. Well, not until 2021. But for now, in 2020, from myself and the entire electric cooperative family, have a safe and Merry Christmas and here’s to a Happy (and much better) New Year!
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Everyone knows from past columns that I am a HUGE fan of Christmas and I have opined on everything from Christmas greetings to Christmas movies. However, despite all my Christmas cheer, I was taken aback to see folks hanging Christmas lights the first week of November! We haven’t even buried Halloween and my neighbors were hanging Christmas lights. Actually, they are paying someone to hang lights for them, which in my book is cheating. Until you and your spouse have hung Christmas decorations, you never really know how strong your marriage is! It’s been 31 years and counting for us. Normally this would give me cause to rant about keeping holidays in order and not overlooking Thanksgiving, but this is 2020, so these are not normal times. This will be the first Christmas any of us have experienced during a pandemic. I would imagine that there will be no Christmas festivals or parades. My annual trip to the City of Canton’s downtown square to see the lights and get our annual picture of the family in a horse drawn carriage won’t happen if the event is canceled. The kids’ picture with Santa is probably over as well. I love seeing my 23, 20 and 17-year-old kids gathered around Santa. It reminds me of the children that got so excited on Christmas morning. Now, my wife has to drag them out of bed, or they will
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5 southern gardening Cool season gardens
7 scene around the ‘sip A look at special people and places around Mississippi
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outdoors today A month of celebration
14 local news 18 feature
The Lewis family of Purvis has been turning on the lights for more than 30 years
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24 on the menu Holiday dips
27 mississippi seen
The Official Publication of the Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi
Vol. 73 No. 11
OFFICERS Kevin Bonds - President Eddie Howard - First Vice President Randy Carroll - Second Vice President Ron Barnes - Secretary/Treasurer Michael Callahan - Executive Vice President/CEO EDITORIAL STAFF Ron Stewart - Senior VP, Communications Steven Ward - Editor Chad Calcote - Creative Director/ Manager Elissa Fulton - Communications Specialist Rickey McMillan - Graphic Designer Kevin Wood - Graphic Designer Chris Alexander - Administrative Assistant EDITORIAL OFFICE & ADVERTISING 601-605-8600
Acceptance of advertising by Today in Mississippi does not imply endorsement of the advertised product or services by the publisher or Mississippi’s electric power associations. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. • National advertising representative: American MainStreet Publications, 800-626-1181
Circulation of this issue: 461,059
Non-member subscription price: $9.50 per year. Today in Mississippi (ISSN 1052-2433) is published 12 times a year by Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Inc., P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300, or 665 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, MS 39157. Phone 601-605-8600. Periodical postage paid at Ridgeland, MS, and additional office. The publisher (and/or its agent) reserves the right to refuse or edit all advertising. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2) NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to: Today in Mississippi, P.O. Box 3300, Ridgeland, MS 39158-3300
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On the cover
24
Elves fill up a tree as part of a popular Christmas light and wood cut out display in Purvis put on annually by the Lewis family. Photo by Chad Calcote.
And we think you’re going to love ours. So let’s work together: As electric cooperatives, we were built by the communities we serve—and by members just like you. 4 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
thrive in cool-season gardens
Collards such as these Tiger collards perform best when grown in the fall and winter, and they produce even until spring.
and open-pollinated types. MSU Extension Recently, I sang the praises of my recommends the following varieties for favorite cool-season vegetable and exMississippi gardens: Vates, Top Bunch, plained how it is both edible and ornaGeorgia LS, Blue Max, Champion and Tiger. mental. Kale is a multitasking super food Like lettuce, collards also can be grown that is really easy to grow from seed. in containers. Growing leafy greens in conBut there are other great cool-season tainers is more manageable and requires vegetables like lettuce and collards. I conmuch less weeding. You will be surprised sider these must-haves for my garden, how many plants will grow in a tight space and they also are easy to grow from seed, when you grow them in containers. Even especially in containers. if you only have a small patio, balcony or The cooler months of winter are the sunny kitchen window, you can still enjoy perfect time to grow lettuce. Lettuce can Baby leaf lettuce is easy to grow at home in containers, fresh greens. tolerate frost and light freezing temperaallowing gardeners to grow their own for salads all winter Be sure to place your containers where tures. And when temperatures are cool, it they will be easily accessible. This can be on your patio, doordoesn’t get bitter like it does when grown in the heat of summer. step, or even windowsill. Keeping them accessible will allow you You don’t even have to grow it in your normal vegetable to maintain them well so you can enjoy fresh salads through garden. Try growing lettuce in containers to save money and the winter. add spice to your landscape. Most retail garden centers have seeds readily available, or you I like to grow both baby leaf and mini head lettuce. The mini can order them online. However, the increased gardening interest heads are the perfect size for individual salads. There are many due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in shortages of many types available, and I like the mini romaine and mini buttercrunch varieties of vegetables. the best. So, if you want to grow some of these leafy greens, don’t wait. Mini head lettuce is perfect for bi-weekly succession planting. If you’d rather not start yours from seed, many garden centers Sow the seed densely, much like sowing grass seed, and then you should be offering transplants of these leafy greens that you can can harvest lettuce after about 21 days. grow instead. If you don’t grow your own, you can buy baby leaf lettuce in the grocery store, usually sold as mixes of several varieties and colors. Whether home-grown or store-bought, these add mealtime interest. Collard greens are another classic leafy vegetable for our Mississippi gardens. by Dr. Gary The best-tasting collards are those grown in the fall through Bachman the winter and into the spring. This makes sense as collards don’t tolerate high temperatures very well. Like our other leafy greens, Gary Bachman, Ph.D., Extension/Research Professor of Horticulture at collards are very appreciative of cooler temperatures, even frosts the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in and freezes. The colder temperatures intensify their flavor profile. Biloxi. He is also host of “Southern Gardening” radio and TV programs. He lives in Ocean Springs and is a Singing River Electric member. There are many varieties of collards available, including hybrid DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 5
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scene around the ‘sip
by Steven Ward When kids would spot it for the first time, they would ask their parents if they could take a ride. But that’s when the attraction was in a Pearl furniture store. Now, children from all over Mississippi and visitors from other states will be able to hop on while visiting a popular state museum. Miskelly Furniture in Pearl has donated an antique carousel to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson as a new exhibit. The large, antique carousel has been owned by Miskelly Furniture since 2004, when it was purchased from Felimana Luna Amusement Park in Argentina. For years, customers would ride for a $1 donation at the Pearl store. All proceeds were then donated to a different charity every year, according to a news release. “We chose organizations that were dedicated to helping the children of Mississippi,” Oscar Miskelly said in the release. “The carousel has generated more than $200,000 in donations. Recipients included The Little Lighthouse, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Mississippi Children’s Home Services.” Miskelly admitted the fixture of 16 years is hard to part with, but said the move ensures that more visitors will enjoy the ride as the museum hosts thousands of children, much more than the retailer. “We want to see more Mississippi children have the opportunity to ride on a real antique carousel,” said Miskelly. “We know the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum will care for it as we have, so it will circle around for many more years.” But how did the Miskelly family wind up with a vintage carousel in the first place?
“We got the idea from another dealer in Virginia years ago. The thought was to identify an icon that we would be identified with that ties us to family. So, when you think of a circus carousel there are generally fond memories and nostalgia associated with an old-fashioned carousel,” said Thomas Miskelly. “After that, it was natural to tie it to children’s charities. The store was actually built with the location of the carousel in mind.” The carousel will be disassembled at the furniture store and taken in pieces to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, where it will be reassembled on the grounds near the Children’s Barnyard and Multipurpose Building. “Over the next couple of months, we will be building a new structure to house the carousel and get it ready for operation. The proximity to the barnyard, pavilions and multipurpose building will create an exciting new dynamic for birthday parties hosted at the museum, as well as fun for our daily visitors,” said Hayes Patrick, executive director of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum. “As a result of the generosity of Mississippians just like the Miskellys, the Ag Museum has excelled for four decades in providing a memorable experience for its guests. I would like to thank the Miskelly family for contributing to the joy and excitement our visitors will experience for decades to come,” Patrick added. Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson also thanked the Miskelly family for the donation. “I want to thank Oscar Miskelly and the entire Miskelly Furniture family for their generosity, and I look forward to seeing the joy their donation brings to all the families that visit the museum,” Gipson said. DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 7
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Guralnick first started writing reviews of shows he attended in the U.S. for the English blues magazines, Blues Unlimited and Blues World. “It was this sense of a larger community, as hungry as I was for insights and information, that led me to approach the great Mississippi bluesman Skip James in the summer of 1965,” Guralnick wrote in “Looking to Get Lost.” “There could have been no more unlikely interviewer than I, and certainly no one burdened with a greater degree of self-consciousness, but I had witnessed Skip’s astonishing performance at the Newport Folk Festival the previous summer, just after his rediscovery in a Tunica, Mississippi hospital, and his even more astonishing reclamation onstage of the weird, almost unearthly sound that characterized his remote 1930 recordings.” That interview kicked off Guralnick’s extraordinary career. In another chapter, Guralnick remembers the experience of hearing Robert Johnson’s Delta blues for the first time. He was only 17. “Listening to songs like “Crossroads,” “Me and the Devil” and “Hellhound on My Trail” over and over, trying to absorb the locutions, getting some sense not just of the strangeness of the music but of the unmistakable familiarity of its emotional terrain was an unrecapturable moment,” Guralnick wrote. One of the most fascinating pieces in the book is a fresh take on Elvis Presley’s career through a unique and personal portrait of Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker called “Me and the Colonel.” Visit www.peterguralnick.com for more information about the book and the author.
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by Steven Ward Mississippi used to feature an electric guitar and the phrase, “Birthplace of America’s Music” emblazoned on state license plates. That was no accident since cultural history has illustrated that the blues, country music and rock and roll were all created by people who were born on the state’s rich, fertile soil. Biographer and music journalist Peter Guralnick walked with and interviewed many of the state’s musical giants and has written about their grand contributions to music history. Guralnick penned the prize-winning, two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, “Last Train to Memphis” and “Careless Love” as well biographies of Sun Records’ owner Sam Phillips and 1960s soul crooner Sam Cooke. His other books, “Lost Highway” and “Feel Like Going Home” collect profiles of many rock, blues and country legends that hail from Mississippi. A good chunk of those profiles is the subject of Guralnick’s newest book, “Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music & Writing,” a memoir that delves into his writing process as well as his memorable encounters with music icons over the last 50 years. “Looking to Get Lost” features chapters on Mississippi musical heroes Skip James, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, Tammy Wynette and Howlin Wolf as well as a piece on Malaco Records in Jackson. Other chapters in the book highlight visits with Bill Monroe, Jerry Lee Lewis, Solomon Burke, Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Allen Toussaint and Eric Clapton. The first artist Guralnick ever interviewed was bluesman Skip James in 1965.
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THE BLUES ADVENTURES OF PETER GURALNICK
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enthusiasm for them. Add a good dog to the mix, and December is the month for celebration and the clear focus December squirrels, due partly to trees being bare of foliage, of many during this time is Christmas. A grand period of are a grand experience. And they are superb as the makings reverence, reflection, giving and togetherness it is. We of a community stew. would all do well to contemplate its true meaning and From a personal perspective, I find that church gathpause in deep gratitude for The Gift Christmas brought. erings and family festivities for a week or so before and Hunters have justifiable reasons to anticipate December then during Christmas garner a great deal of my time. No because of the month’s impact on their pursuits. There may complaints here; I am enriched by be a few extra days off work to them and don’t choose to neglect hunt or perhaps a Christmas gatha single one. These are elements of ering of family and friends affordgreat import. I have not abandoned ing time in the field with individuals deer, but I no longer pursue them who are not regularly collected. with the gusto of past days when I But the primary impact this month would slide into the dinner doings has is that all game seasons, save still wearing orange. wild turkeys, are open at least a Small game permits a more few days within this timeframe. Kinton, dressed in 18th century attire, often pursues squirrels with rational schedule. A couple hours of Likely the most recognized and his .32-caliber Tennessee-style flintlock rifle. There is magic in the early morning or late afternoon in anticipated season among them smoke and rumble of a flintlock. Photos by Sam Valentine. the squirrel woods are the solution. across the Magnolia State is for I am still outside and enjoying offerings of nature but still deer. And a big plus for a large portion of the state is that involved with those elements which, in the grander scheme the rut is on. This rather brief period sees bucks rambling of life, mean the most. widely and one may show up most any time during the day. Hunting season is here and it is at full throttle. Enjoy it. This possibility encourages hunters to sit tight, keep eyes And I close with a sincere wish: Merry Christmas and Happy open and conclude, with validity, that a buck may break New Year. cover at any moment. But deer are not the only game legal this month. Practically all small game common to the state can be pursued. Squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, waterfowl — most all are permitted during some of those days housed by December. And the small game is simply too good to ignore. by Tony Kinton There seems in the past decade an increased interest in small game hunting across the state, especially in the arena Tony Kinton has been an active outdoors writer for 30 years. He lives in of squirrel hunting. They likely hold the second or third slot Carthage and is a Central Electric member. Visit www.tonykinton.com in popularity today, but hunters are showing a new spark of for more information.
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 11
BRINGING THE POWER WWW.SOU THERN PIN E.COOP | P.O. BOX 60 | 1349 1 H WY. 28 | TAYLO R SVIL L E, MS 39 16 8 | 800.231 .524 0
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO CHRIS RHODES This year has been challenging, but 2020 is finally coming to a close. Since March, COVID-19 has led to emotional, physical, or financial struggles for many of our members. We are all just trying to do the best we can to adapt to the changes and restrictions the pandemic brought with it. While COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges to our way of life, I believe we will also look back on just how many good things resulted from the year. With restrictions on all aspects of
what we do and how we do it, we learned to do things in different ways. We found new ways to use technology to continue educating our children and ourselves, conducting our business through virtual meetings, staying healthy through virtual doctor’s visits, and even worshipping using streamed church services and virtual Sunday school and prayer group meetings. We adapted and even thrived in many ways. Perhaps one of the blessings of 2020 is that families have a new opportunity to
reconnect. It’s easy to become disconnected in today’s busy world when everyone in the house is going in a different direction. This year forced us all to slow our pace a little and stay home more with our families. For me, this slower pace and time with my family has been a gift. As Christmas nears, we are aware that it may be different. Typically a time of traditions and big celebrations, in 2020 we may have to experience Christmas in smaller ways. We may have to forego some of the crowded parties and large church services for more intimate forms of celebrating. Travel may be limited, and shopping may differ, but perhaps all these differences come with some good things. A slower pace allowing us to focus on what is truly important might be a welcome change. One of the most joyous times of the year may also be one of the toughest. Many members will be celebrating Christmas for the first time without a loved one. I know how difficult it can be this time of year when you have lost someone special. I pray that you receive peace and grace as you cherish fond memories. As 2021 comes quickly, full of hope and promise, I wish all the members and employees a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you in the coming year. Best wishes!
by Chris K. Rhodes President / CEO Southern Pine Electric
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Southern Pine Electric offices will be closed in observance of the following holidays:
CHRISTMAS EVE • CHRISTMAS DAY • NEW YEAR’S DAY We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and blessed 2021! 12 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
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Doyle Jones has served Southern Pine members for over 44 years and has no plans of stopping anytime soon. He started as a right-of-way helper, then became a tree trimmer, groundsman, apprentice lineman, journeyman lineman and senior lineman before taking on his current role as maintenance superintendent. About 17 years ago, Doyle was hurt in an accident and lost his right arm, but not his sense of humor. “I was supposed to be a dead man according to the doctor who said he didn’t save my life; he just patched me up. Somehow, I made it, and I wondered, why am I here,” Doyle said. “Then, one day, I realized why. I was here to keep Steve Jones (his coworker and friend) straight and out of trouble!” After the accident, Doyle said he was out for 13 weeks before returning to work, where he could no longer do the job he loved. “One thing I’ll say is I’ll always be a lineman at heart, and I loved being one,” Doyle said. Even though his lineman days are behind him, Doyle takes tremendous pride in his work and says that his father taught him to work hard and do things to the best of his ability no matter what the job. He does just that every day at Southern Pine, taking care of maintenance Doyle and Sandra Jones issues.
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“One thing I’ll say is I’ll always be a lineman at heart, and I loved being one.” Doyle Jones
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Doyle has also had a lawn care business for over 26 years that started with a comment he made to a coworker at Southern Pine. “One day at work, 26 years ago, I said ‘I don’t know who they pay to do this, but I can beat it’ and then the next day Mr. Don called me in the office and asked me if I meant what I said,” Doyle said. “I said yes, I did.” That was that, and I started taking care of the grounds, and the business grew from there, he said. A dedicated and loyal employee of Southern Pine is only part of the story with Doyle. He is a true family man who loves his wife, two children, and four grandchildren more than anything. “Everything we do at our house is for our grandkids,” he said. Doyle has installed a basketball court for his basketball-loving family, built a treehouse on his property, and even gotten a pool. All of this is for the grandkids. “Yeah, I said I’d never have a pool at my house, but they wanted one, so I have one now,” Doyle said with a smile and a laugh. In his spare time, which he says is not much, Doyle goes to lots of ballgames. All four grandkids play ball, and he’s their biggest and most loyal fan. He also enjoys fishing with the grandkids when he has the time. Doyle likes staying busy and said if he has something to do, then he is happy. Doyle’s wife of 47 years, Sandra, said, “Doyle is truly remarkable to me because he does anything he wants — there’s nothing he cannot do since the accident.” Sandra said that Doyle’s doctors have called him over the years to come meet with other patients because they were so inspired by him during his recovery. Sandra said, “Doyle is a good man with a good heart.” That sums it up and we could not agree more and are proud to have him as part of the Southern Pine family.
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DOYLE JONES
L to R - Brenton Jones, Sadie Jones, Kaden Jones, and Logan Yeager.
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 13
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MEET SOUTHERN PINE EMPLOYEE:
The best gift around the tree is family.
L to R: Taylor, Cole, and Parker Kate Avera
L to R: Haiden, Zaiden, Farrah, and Taylor (Grandchildren of DeDee Taylor, Hattiesburg Branch)
Front row: Lyndon, Landry, Drake, Parker; Second Row: Brooke, Becky, Meagan; Third Row: Layton, Kane, Don, Brock (The Williamson Family)
L to R: DeDee Taylor, Karen Moseley, Mandy Stanley, and Casey Clingan
14 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
Lauren Lee White and big brother Austin Sullivan (Jan Collins’ family)
Erin Moffett, Darnell Moffett’s granddaughter
L to R: Shenetta Darby, Kaleb Wood, Shannon Baughman, Stephanie Mutone, Kathy Gilbert, Tim Brown, and Michael Helton
Christmas at Southern Pine
Casey, Courtney, and Noah Clingan
L to R: Presley Arender, Lindsey, Phillip and Sadie Ricketson
L to R: Ava, Ashton, Heather and Jon White
Drake, Landry, Lyndon, Layton, Parker (Grandsons of Becky Williamson, New Hebron District)
L to R: Presley Arender and Harper Smith (Phillip Ricketson’s stepdaughter and niece)
FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS
Lauren Lee White (Jan Collins’ niece)
L to R: Nathan, Jennifer, Makenze, and Brady Hudson
L to R: Sharley, Anna, Raegan, Emily, Rhys, Gunnar (Grandchildren of Ann Hamm, Headquarters)
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 15
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
WOODLAND TRAILS
Nestled on over 20 acres of beautiful, wooded land, Woodland Trails is aptly named. When guests drive down the winding and secluded driveway, they automatically get a sense of peace and tranquility. Upon arriving at the approximately 5,000-square-foot building, one of the first things visitors notice is how beautifully decorated it is no matter what the season. However, one of the highlights of Woodland Trails is that wonderful smell of “Grandma’s cooking” that we all know so well. Cheryl McQueen, retired from Jones College after more than 30 years, is the sole proprietor but this place has always been a family business. Located in the Kola community of Collins, Cheryl and her late husband, David, ran the business for many years together. Now, her sons, daughters-in-law, and even grandkids all play a role in the success of Woodland Trails. Over the past 10 years, Cheryl says that they have seen steady growth. She credits that growth to her customers who share the news of this well-kept secret with friends and family. Another reason for their growth is the unique business of cooking and serving the public and having room to host private gatherings, large or small. “Even when we’re open to the public, we can accommodate private meetings or events up to 75 people,” Cheryl said. On Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. she and her team serve buffet-style home cooking that reminds you of Sunday lunch at grandma’s. They also serve
16 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
lunch on the first, third, and fifth Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Friday nights they serve menu items from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. According to Cheryl, the specialties include traditional cornbread dressing, chicken and dumplings, tomato pie, shrimp and grits, homemade cakes, pies, and bread pudding. “We just make good, home-cooked food and most everything is cooked from scratch,” she added. Cheryl is a firm believer that “people eat with their eyes,” and if the presentation is not right, no one wants to eat it. “But the presentation is not all; it has to taste great too,” Cheryl said. According to Cheryl, owning Woodland Trails has undoubtedly been a learning experience. “I’ve met so many people and learned so many things I would never have without the business,” she said. That is her favorite part. “We all love decorating for the seasons, but my favorite part of Woodland Trails is that I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many great people,” Cheryl said. Because they host business and civic meetings, private parties of all kinds, and serve the public for buffets, they have met so many interesting people throughout the years. Cheryl loves making people happy, so whether it is delivery, catering, facility rental only or anything in between, Woodland Trails can handle it. “Whatever the customer wants, is what we’ll do, and we do it in a beautiful country setting,” Cheryl said.
There is Always Reason to be Thankful by Jan Collins As we bid goodbye to 2020, we acknowledge the hardships endured by many people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We, along with all Americans, have come to realize the deep need for patriotic renewal across our land. Amid harsh weather systems that have left many in Southern Pine’s area struggling to repair extensive damage to homes and businesses, we have experienced firsthand, the generosity of people and the kindness of strangers. 2020 caused us to reevaluate the things that we hold most dear. The take-away for the year has been that material possessions come and go, and matter very little, but the health and welfare of our family, friends and neighbors is priceless. Having jobs, a steady paycheck, and the necessities of life took on new significance when millions of people lost their work and supplies were hard to find. Here at Southern Pine, we are each grateful for our jobs and for the opportunity to serve our members, communities and state. On the worst of days, we still have so much for which we are grateful. The fact that we have come through almost a complete year without a major shutdown of crews due to the virus, is a testament to the diligence of our employees to protect themselves as best they could. Their diligence, in turn, protected
our members when the call came to restore power from storm after storm. We scrubbed, cleaned and sanitized everything on site to keep ourselves and each other safe. Today, we are most grateful when we wake up healthy and are mindful to stop complaining about the things that matter little at the end of the day. As employees, we owe a debt of gratitude to our board of directors and CEO. The virus was not the only challenge 2020 laid on our doorstop. We experienced the resignation of a CEO and multiple storms that caused millions of dollars in damage. Through it all, the board remained calm and determined to find the very best person to guide Southern Pine and her employees, into 2021 and the decades to follow. We are grateful to them for the outstanding work they have accomplished and for their guidance and leadership during a most difficult year. Day after day, we have been determined to search for the good in other people and we have found it repeatedly. We have struggled but we are a stronger cooperative because of it. We have learned that our blessings are greater than any problem we may have. Thank you to our board of directors, CEO and fellow employees for the outstanding work accomplished during 2020. We are most thankful for each of you as we continue to Bring the Power.
The Communication Team at Southern Pine: Ethan Manning, Darnell Moffett, Jan Collins, Melissa Nixon and Steve Bryant
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 17
Turning lights into joy for over 30 years
18 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
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by Steven Ward inception in the 1980s. Evelyn Lewis was just look“For years the Lewis family ing for a place with Christmas has brought tremendous joy lights that she could visit with and happiness to our area her nieces. through their Christmas light “We would drive around evdisplay,” said Randy Wallace, ery year, about 50 to 75 miles Pearl River Valley Electric around to look at Christmas general manager. “The work lights. But we didn’t see anythey put into their display thing worth a dang. We could makes us all proud to call just as well drive down our south Mississippi home, and own street and see lights that we are extremely honored were just as good,” Evelyn, to play a part in their yearly 83, said recently. tradition.” And that’s when Evelyn and That tradition carries on in her sisters and other family 2020 — COVID-19 or not. members started putting up “This year we are asking vistheir own Christmas lights at itors to wear masks and social their Purvis home. Linda Roberts, on the ladder, places an elf in the hole of a tree as part of the Lewis family’s popular “Elf Tree” display. Evelyn Lewis (below) said distance,” said Deborah Lewis, “It just grew from there. the tree is a popular favorite of children who visit the house each holiday. 47, Evelyn’s niece. Each year, we just put more Each Lewis family member has a certain job each year in and more lights up,” Evelyn said laughing. putting on the massive Christmas display. That was in 1989. Today, more than 30 years later, the Barbara Lewis, Deborah’s mother, cuts out the wood Lewis family continues to adorn their home, expansive gardisplays. The cutouts were painted by Barbara, Deborah den, trees and land with shiny and sparkly lights and erect and Deborah’s late father, Frank Lewis. cut out wood displays to create a Christmas wonderland in Evelyn, a master gardener, is also an artist and the main Purvis that visitors come from all over to witness. person who is responsible for all the detail work on the That first year, the family put up about 5,000 lights. displays. That number grew to nearly 200,000 lights and more than 300 wood cut outs. Barbara created the electrical layout and wiring. The Lewis family are longtime members of the Pearl Evelyn and her sister Linda Roberts, 74, put up all the River Valley Electric Power Association. That power has lights on their 2-acre spread. been powering up their famous Christmas display since its
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photography by Chad Calcote and Deborah Lewis
“It takes about two weeks to get all the lights up,” Evelyn said. Linda’s husband, AM Roberts, 81 and son, Kris Roberts, 47, help with the wood displays that go on the roof. The family also has a hot chocolate station on the backyard porch and an area where they sell family-made arts and crafts to help pay for each year’s light extravaganza. “During the time the lights are on it takes all of us to keep an eye on everything. I man the shop that we have set up on the carport each year while Evelyn and Kris handle the hot chocolate stand. Linda usually greets the visitors as they come in and explains the rules to them. Barbara is normally on the front porch answering questions people normally have,” Deborah said. The wood cut outs feature every possible Christmas scene you can imagine: Santa and his reindeer, Santa and his elves, Santa and Mrs. Santa Claus, The 12 Days of Christmas, snowmen, the traditional Christmas story, the Little Drummer Boy, carolers, 20 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
angels, the North Pole, a “Toyland Express” and a Christmas list are just some of what visitors will experience. The light display is something special. “Parents will take their children through the path three or four times,” Evelyn said. Deborah said there are plenty of times children will start crying when their parents say it’s time to go. “They just don’t want to leave,” she said. The preparation each year takes a lot of time and hard work. “For a lot of families, this is how they start their holiday season. We do it because so many people enjoy it. The kids get so excited. It becomes a magical place,” Evelyn said.
If you go
Nov. 26 to Dec. 25 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Dec. 26 to Dec. 31 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. 280 White Chapel Road Purvis, MS 39475 For more information, call 601-466-3679, email lewislightsandcrafts@gmail.com or visit the family’s Facebook page at Lewis Lights & Crafts.
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 21
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mississippi seen
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grin ‘n’ bare it
with Rebecca Turner
Guests will flip for these Christmas dips The holiday season is here, and if there was ever a year that needed some Christmas cheer, it is 2020! For many families, Christmas is the most meaningful holiday full of traditions, joy and hope in a Savior born. Tis’ the season for bright lights, sparkly ornaments, caroling and cooking seasonal, signature recipes. Out of storage comes our Christmas dishes, cookie cutters and Corningware, ready to take food wherever there is a festive celebration. My grandmother’s vintage Christmas china set makes its debut on Dec. 1. We enjoy drinking coffee and eating everything from weekday dinners to a full-blown holiday feast on dainty dishes adorned with holly and angels playing holiday horns. The last month of the year is often the busiest, with a calendar full of entertaining events with family, friends, church and workplace colleagues. An array of festive appetizers and finger foods help set the tone for parties, giving guests the opportunity for casual, friendly banter while munching on delicious dips, chips, spreads and crackers. A good holiday dip is a perfect snack to balance out all those Christmas cookies. And when done right, a good dip recipe can guarantee a future invite to the next seasonal shindig. And, in my opinion, an appetizer should tease your taste buds while leaving room for the main course. 24 TODAY | DECEMBER 2020
Amid the cheeseballs, cocktail meatballs, and pigs-ina-blanket, try serving a dip without the guilt: substitute reduced-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt for mayonnaise. If you can’t part with your mayo, spoon in one tablespoon at a time till you reach your desired consistency or taste. Often, you can spare several hundred calories by just being mindful of how much goes in. Go lighter on the toppings and use half the amount of nuts and other add-ins. With pecans and nut prices on the rise, this can help save money, too. If a recipe calls for crushed pecan or walnut pieces, sub in half the amount with peanut pieces. Never underestimate the power of a great dip to get a party off to a merry start. Serve them with whole grain pita or, ideally, sliced veggies. Try some less-than-usual options such as asparagus, or in-season vegetables like chicories, parsnips and radishes along with the standard carrots and celery. Creamy and flavorful, try the pumpkin pie dip and spice up your starters with the cranberry salsa. Both so tasty, guests won’t know they’ve been lightened up.
INGREDIENTS 12 ounces fresh cranberries ½ to 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 to 2 tablespoons can diced jalapenos, drained ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Salt and pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS 1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese, softened 1 cup pumpkin puree ½ cup confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1. Combine cranberries and 1 quart of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Cranberries will begin to pop; do not overcook. All you need is for them to soften, not cook down. Drain. Let your cranberries cool before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Mix in pumpkin puree until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, jalapeno (start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you like it spicy), cilantro, scallions and cranberries. Mix by hand, squeezing some of the berries to a pulp and leaving the rest whole.
1. Beat cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. Stir confectioners’ sugar and pumpkin pie spice into mixture until evenly mixed. 4. Fold in whipped topping. 5. For the best flavor, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about two hours.
3. Add lime juice, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. 4. Serve with chips, pita bread or festive crackers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rebecca Turner is an author, registered dietitian, radio host, television presenter and a certified specialist in sports dietetics with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A lifelong Mississippian, she lives in Brandon and has spent the last decade offering no-nonsense nutrition guidance that allows you to enjoy good health and good food. Her book, “Mind Over Fork,” challenges the way you think, not the way you eat. Find her on social media @RebeccaTurnerNutrition and online at www.RebeccaTurnerNutrition.com.
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 25
mississippi seen
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mississippi marketplace on the menu Christmas Candlelight Tours at Landrums outdoors today Homestead & Village, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. Laurel. Many planned events were canceled Step back in time and take a Christmas walking scene ‘sip because of the around COVID-19 crisis, so the we picture this tour of the past with thousands of white lights have had far fewer events to feature and candlelit pathways. Beautiful Christmas tour our working homestead over in this space as a result. As more areas my with opinion co-op involvement music, 85 buildings, enjoy hot chocolate, marshmalof Mississippi open back up and groups and organizations feel comfortable about holding public events, we intend to include those details here. So, if you have an upcoming event for February or January, please email the details to news@ecm.coop. Events are subject to change or cancellation due to COVID-19. Please confirm details before traveling.
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& Village, 1356 southern gardeningLandrum’s Homesteadgrin ‘n’Highway bare it
Trees of Christmas at Merrehope, Nov. 23 to Dec. 30. Sundays – Nov. 22 and 29 and Dec. 6, 13 and 20. Meridian. Tour exquisitely decorated historic homes, Merrehope and F.W. Williams. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. 905 Martin Luther King Dr. Details: 601-483-8439. Merrehope.com. Cider Circle Café, Dec. 7. Picayune. Jackie Stewart’s “Women on Mission” of Picayune’s First Baptist Church will be hosting the 6th Cider Circle Cafe in conjunction with the Picayune Christmas parade from 4 p.m. until. Serving pizza, sandwiches, and steaming bowls of red bean and rice and jambalaya, topped off with delectable homemade sweets. All proceeds donated to the “United Missions Offering.” First Baptist Church, 401 Goodyear Blvd. Details: 601-566-3424.
15 South. Admission $10, children 3 and under are free. Details: 601-649-2546.
Traditions Show and Sale, Dec. 10 and 11. Greenwood. Attending the show will be Mrs. Thad Cochran with antique linen, Lisa Paris with fine art, Fran Riddell Renaissance Collection with antique cultured pearl bracelets, John Oliver Dowdle with interiors and accents, Caroline Taylor with engraved and monogrammed jewelry, and Antique Restorations repairing porcelain, china, crystal and glass. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Alluvian, 318 Howard St. Details: 662-453-9197. MS Gulf Coast Beekeepers Association. January 2021. (Dates TBD) Group to offer free, basic beekeeping mentorship program outdoors with individual mentors. Mentors live in Jackson, Harrison, Stone and George counties. Pre-registration required. Details: 601-716-5557 or 847-529-6493
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Walt Grayson is the host of “Mississippi Roads” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting television and the author of two “Looking Around Mississippi” books and “Oh! That Reminds Me: More Mississippi Homegrown Stories.” He lives in Brandon and is a Central Electric member. Contact him at walt@waltgrayson.com.
DECEMBER 2020 | TODAY 27
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by Walt Grayson
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was so cold our feet would stick to it. We played hide and seek in the infinite cubbies, corners and closets of that house. There was an old upright radio at one end of the living room that we kids were forbidden to touch — a radio that hadn’t worked since World War II. We sifted through granddaddy’s magical collection of arrowheads and oddities and got down his scrapbooks of articles about the strange things that appealed to him — fivelegged cows and published arguments that Jesus must have died on Thursday and not Friday. We sat down for meals together as a family. We instinctively knew we were an integral member of that group of folks. Bound with an invisible bond to them that we didn’t have with any other category of people on earth. Not our friends at school, not our church congregation, nobody else. The presents we got for Christmas were nothing compared to what they gave us — a sense of belonging. A purpose for being that you don’t get from just opening stuff from under the tree and then peeling off to play video games.
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Christmas season seems to have no beginning and no end these days. Just a vague lull and then a mad dash. You can buy Christmas trees online yearround. Same thing with watching Christmas movies on cable. Some of our friends who have the extensive outdoor displays of lights spend half the year putting them up and taking them down. Even at our house, we leave at least one mantle decoration all year for a glance of cheer. This year my exuberance for Christmas hasn’t been as keen as in years past. Too much else going on — COVID-19, politics and work. Maybe it’s just me. My dad never seemed to let anything get in the way of his Christmas spirit. But he had a definite date upon which the Christmas season arrived at our house. Dec. 1 was the day. There was no thought of Christmas at Halloween. There was little thought of it at Thanksgiving. But by sunset Dec. 1, the tree was up and all of us kids would decorate it that night after school. Having a “bad” Christmas back then wasn’t even in our vocabulary. Some years we got better presents than other years. But “Christmas” itself was always Christmas. Christmas was more of a feeling than a thing; more an experience than an event. I have tried to replicate that Christmas season experience for our kids and grandkids. Other than the mechanics of it — decorating a tree and stuff — I feel as if I haven’t been very successful. But thinking back, my Christmases were populated with aunts and uncles and cousins gathering at grandma’s house at some point during the Christmas season. The smell of coffee and bacon cooking on the wood stove drifting up the stairs woke us up. We would climb up out of a feather mattress and it seemed the floor
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Today and Yesterday
FOR THE MEMBERS OF