The Mississippi Main Street Blog

Corinth Wins Presidential Award

First Lady Laura Bush presented the 2008 Preserve America Presidential Awards in a White House ceremony May 12. The winners are the African Burial Ground Project in New York City, the Corinth and Alcorn County Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City and the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
Picture: Mark Dremel, left, and Howard Dodson receive applause from a White House East Room audience after receiving a 2008 Preserve America Presidential Award for the African Burial Ground Project.

Preserve America News/ May 2008

2008 Annual Awards a Big Success!

The 2008 Annual Awards Luncheon was held Friday, May 16 at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson. A crowd of 140 people from all over Mississippi gathered to celebrate and honor the achievements of the individuals and  businesses that have contributed to Main Street programs and their communities.

After a delicious seafood lunch, attendees were delighted to see our surprise guest...Former Executive Director Beverly Meng! Beverly presented the first Charles O. Beasley Awards in honor of "Charlie" who was a longtime supporter of MS Main Street. Charlie's wife, Paula, and children Allison, Carla and Charlie were recognized at the ceremony and are pictured with Director Bob Wilson and 2008 and 2009 Charles O. Beasley Award Winners, Reba Beebe of Picayune and Brian Goff of Hernando.

"Charlie was a dear friend and fiercely loyal to Main Street," Meng said.

Keynote Speaker, Gray Swoope, stressed the importance of Main Street as a cornerstone of the economic development strategy in Mississippi.

"Mississippi is blessed with great communities," Swoope said. "We want to continue to have places people want to live."

Gray said a good motto to live by is "Change lives, change minds" as Mississippi strives to improve outside perceptions about our state by making our communities places people want to live.

Check out more pictures from the 2008 Awards Luncheon, including all Award winners, on the left tab bar.

Mississippi Market Wholesale Show set for June 5-6

It is well-known that Mississippi produces some magnificent home-grown things - from great musicians and singers to talented actors and producers as well as renowned athletes, chefs and artists. What Mississippi also has, which is not publicized nearly as much, is interesting and unique gifts and products.

This is what the Mississippi Market Wholesale Show brings to you. Exhibitors from all over the great Magnolia State will be in one place for buyers on June 5-6 at the Mississippi Trademart in downtown Jackson. Since 1996, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) has presented the show. The idea is to help budding proprietors introduce their products to buyers, and it helps increase business and sales for all partcipating vendors.

Items on display include jewelry, specialty apparel, pottery, decorative accessories, gourmet foods, garden accessories, art, linens, bath care products, aroma therapy products, candles, children's clothes, furniture and more.

Small companies like Hanging by a Thread in Hernando, Fruit of the Earth Basketry in West Point and Magnolia Honey Jelly & Gifts in Woodville will be found at the show. Tell your storeowner friends to plan a day trip to Jackson to buy for their stores and support Mississippi-made products. Deadline for buyers is May 25th. For more information, visit www.mississippimarket.org. Happy Shopping!

Greenwood Main Street Office to Get Makeover!

Lise Foy, Manager of Greenwood Main Street, shared some exciting news with MMSA. 
"I want to let you know that we have been awarded a $6200 grant from MDAH to continue restoration work on the Greyhound Bus Station (Main Street  Station)!" Foy said.
The Main Street Station was originally the Greyhound Bus Station, which opened in 1939. Since the program's inception in 1995, Greenwood has made more than $20 million in public and private reinvestment, 25 upscale downtown apartments and brought more than 200 new jobs.
We're excited about this next phase for Greenwood Main Street Station!
(Photos depict 1939 and 2007 image of Greenwood Main Street Station.)

MS Main Street and Waveland make waves on WLOX News

WAVELAND (WLOX) -- One South Mississippi city is getting the help of a statewide organization in its downtown rebuilding efforts. The city of Waveland is teaming up with the Mississippi Main Street Association to rebuild Coleman Avenue.

"It has a long history and it's certainly a part of the heart and soul of this community," said Charlie Cornelius with the Waveland Community Coalition.

The coalition is just one organization pushing to get residents involved in rebuilding the downtown district.

"Government is doing the best that it can. Citizens also have the ability to leverage themselves into this effort, and this is the vehicle by which we can do it," Cornelius said.

It's an effort that now includes the Mississippi Main Street Association.

"Main Street is all about a community working together and taking ownership of the process together, so we wanted everyone involved from the very beginning," said Stacey Pair, President of Mississippi Main Street.

The association will help the city finalize plans for Coleman Avenue. It will also open doors for more funding and a team of expert design professionals who will preserve the uniqueness of Coleman Avenue.

It's something that long-time resident and business owner Kathy Pinn can appreciate.

"We're not the pretty little perfect little town. The buildings are gone, some of the people are gone and the vision has gotten blurred, but maybe through the Mississippi Main Street process we can come up again with our vision of what Coleman Avenue will be," Pinn said.

Mayor Tommy Longo says the city is now waiting on CDBG funds and money from the Department of Transportation, which could be here as early as this week. Then it won't be long before the people of Waveland start seeing a new, yet familiar downtown district.

by Elise Roberts

Farmers Markets Growing in Mississippi

The trend to buy local, organic and fresh produce is growing. Fortunately for Mississippi, our state has plenty to offer all over the state. Many of our Main Street towns have great Farmers Markets available to the public, such as Tupelo and Natchez. Others, like Hattiesburg, are in the process of developing a Farmers Market with the help of the MSU Office of Agricultural Communications. The slogan "Make Mine Mississippi" supports the trend of buying fresh produce locally.

Generally the prices at Farmers Markets are lower than at supermarkets. With the high cost of fuel, buying local also means saving money. But people like going to Farmers Markets for more than the fresh produce - they also like the atmosphere. Customers can chat with the farmers and each other; there is a camaraderie. People like knowing where their food came from and who grew it.  (Picture of Farmers Market sign in Turnrow bookstore in Greenwood).

Main Street Directors Spotted with Alton Brown!

Food Network Celebrity Chef Alton Brown was in Mississippi last week to sign copies of his new book, Feasting on Asphalt. Several Main Street directors were able to attend his book signing at Turnrow Books in Greenwood after Manager Training on April 25. Just another day in the lives of our fabulous MS Main Street Directors! (Shown at Top: Judy Griffith and Cheryl Bourne of Columbia, MS; Middle: Stacy Pair of Gulfport and Jan Miller of Columbus; Bottom: Jan flirting with Alton)