Thomas's McComb, Pike County, and Southwest Mississippi Real Estate Blog

McComb, MS, Residential Real Estate Market Report for February 2010*

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:10:40 -0800

McComb, MS, Residential Real Estate Market Report for February 2010*

For the period Feb. 1-28, 2010, ten homes were sold in McComb. During this same period there were 20 homes put on the market (twice as many new listings as homes sold). At the time of this writing there are 176 residential listings. This means that we have a 17.6-month inventory of homes for sale. (Please see my recent blog about the state of the market in McComb, Pike County, SW MS. Because of the ratio used to figure the number of months of inventory—number of active listings divided by number of homes sold in one month--when only a few houses are being sold, the number of months of inventory can change by several months even when the number of active listings stays the same.) We are aiming for a four to six months’ supply of homes for a healthy, balanced market. To do this, we need consumers to buy, buy, buy! Also of note, the average number of days on market of the sold homes was 211 days (about seven months). Note that this statistic is only for homes that have sold during this time period—there are several homes still listed that have been on the market for over a year. We are seeing a good number of price reductions across the market.

Here is a chart comparing residential sales activity for the last several months in McComb, MS:

	No. of New Listings	No. of Sold Listings	Avg. DOM (Days on Market) of Sold Listings	Avg. Sold Price to List Price %
Sept. 2009	23	10	116	95.10
Oct. 2009	19	5	112	95.95
Nov. 2009	19	7	181	95.70
Dec. 2009	15	5	203	94.28
Jan. 2010	28	4	175	89.69
Feb. 2010	20	10	211	91.75

It’s good to see we sold more homes in February than we did monthly during the previous four months. It’s too early to tell yet, but let’s hope it is the beginning of a powerful upward trend.

Is the lower than usual sold price to list price during the last two months a cause for concern? It could be a reflection of desperate sellers doing what it takes to get their home sold. Or possibly sellers realized that the market simply didn’t support their asking price. Whatever the case, it’s too early to know whether it is a trend.

Right now is a great time to buy a home! Why?

1. There are so many homes on the market in our area, you have, as they say, the pick of the litter! With so many homes to choose from, the chances are great that you will find one that very closely meets your needs and desires, whereas in a seller’s market, the pickings are slim, and if you really need to make a move, you may not be completely satisfied with what you can find!

2. Interest rates are at or near historic lows—visit Bankrate.com. Buy now before the rates rise again, and you may save many thousands of dollars over the life of your loan!

3. Because of the competition among sellers, prices are lower now than in a seller’s market. Buy now before prices rise again (as they are beginning to do in several major markets across the country)!

4. Because so many homes have been on the market for quite a while, many sellers who really need to sell may be willing to offer concessions they wouldn’t normally offer, such as help with closing costs or redecorating allowances. It never hurts to ask!

5. Buyers still have time (although the clock is rapidly ticking!) to take advantage of the extended and expanded homebuyer tax credit. Remember, it’s not just for first-time homebuyers now! See the deadlines and learn all about the new tax credit at http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit .

6. Regardless of what the stock market has done, home ownership is still the #1 way to build wealth over the long term. Real estate has delivered the most consistent positive return over any investment over the past 40 years. Did you know that 60% of the average homeowner’s total wealth comes from their home equity?!

Make Your Move with Morgan!

And become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/tmorganrealtor

*Statistics are based on reports from the Southwest Mississippi Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, and are deemed to be correct, but are not guaranteed.

Thomas Morgan Earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:40:15 -0800

Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR^® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Thomas Morgan with Hometown Realty, Inc. GMAC Real Estate in McComb, Pike County, Mississippi, has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS^® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS^® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new "traditional" transaction. REALTORS^® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

"As leading advocates for homeownership, REALTORS^® believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results," said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. "Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it's extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a REALTOR^® who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases."

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS^® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves. To earn the SFR certification, REALTORS^Òare required to take one core course and three Webinars. For more information about the SFR certification, visit www.REALTORSFR.org or call 1-877-510-7855.

McComb, Summit, Pike County, MS, Rentals Available!

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:12:23 -0800

I currently have two Pike County, MS, rentals available--one in McComb and one in Summit. Check them out at

http://www.southwestmsrealestate.com/Rentals/page_2299171.html

Also, if you are a property owner who needs someone to manage your property for you, please let me know. This is an especially helpful service for out of town owners. You can have peace of mind and not have to worry about all the phone calls, showings, repairs, etc.!

http://swmsre.com

McComb, MS, Residential Real Estate Market Report for August 2009

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:18:27 -0700

McComb, MS, Residential Real Estate Market Report for August 2009*

For the period August 1-31, 2009, seven homes were sold in McComb. During this same period there were 28 homes put on the market (four times as many new listings as homes sold!). At the time of this writing there are 138 residential listings. This means that we have a 19.7-month inventory of homes for sale. (Please see my most recent blog about the state of the market in McComb, Pike County, SW MS. Because of the ratio used to figure the number of months of inventory—number of active listings divided by number of homes sold in one month--when only a few houses are being sold, the number of months of inventory can change by several months even when the number of active listings stays the same.) We are aiming for a six months’ supply of homes for a healthy, balanced market. To do this, we need people to buy, buy, buy! Also of note, the average number of days on market of the sold homes was 296 days (about 9.87 months). Note that this statistic is only for homes that have sold during this time period—there are several homes still listed that have been on the market for over a year.

Right now is a great time to buy a home! Why?

2. Interest rates are at or near historic lows—visit Bankrate.com. Buy now before the rates rise again, and you may save many thousands of dollars over the life of your loan!

3. Because of the competition among sellers, prices are lower now than in a seller’s market. Buy now before prices rise again!

5. Regardless of what the stock market has done, home ownership is still the #1 way to build wealth over the long term. Real estate has delivered the most consistent positive return over any investment over the past 40 years. Did you know that 60% of the average homeowner’s total wealth comes from their home equity?!

Make Your Move with Morgan!

*Statistics are based on reports from the Southwest Mississippi Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, and are deemed to be correct, but are not guaranteed.

McComb, Pike County, SW MS, Residential Real Estate—State of the Market, August 2009

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:42:13 -0700

McComb, Pike County, SW MS, Residential Real Estate—State of the Market, August 2009

Home sales in our area seem to be slowly picking up, but there is still a ways to go before we reach a balanced market. For those with good credit and provable good income, with a comfortable debt to income ratio, now is a great time to buy. Buyers can take advantage of some of the lowest interest rates in decades and they can also choose from among many (136!) homes competing on the market. For first-time home buyers, there is also the $8,000 tax credit advantage (through Nov. 30, 2009—see http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html?portlet=7 ). However, buyers who are weak in credit, income, and/or debt requirements are having a difficult time with many lenders.

I would say 75-80 percent of my prospects and clients are Louisiana residents looking for second homes and/or evacuation homes. The majority of these prospective buyers are looking to pay cash for very inexpensive homes and/or lots or land where they can place mobile homes.

To increase the chances of selling in this market, sellers need to make their homes as attractive and as move-in ready as possible. If you can afford to do so, go ahead and put on that new roof if one is needed, add central air and heat if your home doesn't have it, and make all the needed repairs and cosmetic improvements ahead of time, so that your home will stand out against the competition! Because there are so many homes on the market competing against each other, sellers also need to price their homes accordingly (= aggressively). I have seen many recent price reductions on homes, many of them around 10 percent. It is better to enter the market with an attractive price, rather than drop the price every few months. The first month your home is on the market will most likely be the one in which you get the most prospective buyers. If your home is priced too high, some buyers may think it is out of their range and not make an offer, or not even view the house to begin with! Don't let your listing become stale or neglected!

There are currently (as of Aug. 19, 2009) 136 homes on the market in McComb, Mississippi. Based on the number of homes sold (9) in the last month (July 18, 2009-August 18, 2009), there is a 15.1 months’ supply of homes. In other words, if there were no new residential listings, it would take 15.1 months to sell the current inventory at this rate of buying. This is indicative of a slow market, not good for sellers because they have to keep their prices low to compete with so many other listings.

The chart below* gives the number of residential units sold in McComb, MS, during a one-month time period, going several years back. Prices should rise as the inventory gets closer to a much healthier four to six months’ supply, so that sellers are not competing so much with each other. That will be the best time for sellers to enter the market. I will plan to post the months’ supply every month if I can. Please subscribe to my blog (see the right margin) so that you can be in the know!

*One Month Time Period*	*Number of Units Sold*	*Average Days on Market of Sold Units*
This month so far--July 18, 2009-August 18, 2009	9	155
Last month--June 18, 2009-July 18, 2009	9	149
Two months ago--May 18, 2009-June 18, 2009	7	115
Three months ago-April 18, 2009-May 18, 2009	5	122
Four months ago--March 18, 2009- April 18, 2009	10	157
Five months ago—February 18, 2009-March 18, 2009	10	129
One year ago—July 18, 2008-August 18, 2008	9	117
One and a half years ago--Feb. 18, 2008-March 18, 2008	8	95
Two years ago—July 18, 2007-Aug. 18, 2007	24	106
Two and a half years ago—February 18, 2007-March 18, 2007	15	144
Three years ago-- July 18, 2006-August 18, 2006	23	90
Three and a half years ago—February 18, 2006-March 18, 2006	22	167
Four years ago (PRE-KATRINA)-- July 18, 2005-August 18, 2005	13	167
Four and a half years ago (PRE-KATRINA)—February 18, 2005-March 18, 2005	11	136

*Statistics are based on reports from the Southwest Mississippi Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, and are deemed to be correct, but are not guaranteed.

McComb, MS, Named One of Top 20 Retirement Neighborhoods in America

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:25:46 -0700

McComb, MS, was recently named by NeighborhoodScout as Number 9 in top neighborhoods to retire in. Click for more info.

McComb, MS: Special Blood Drive March 7, 2009, for Tommy Morgan (That's Me!)

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:30:20 -0800

I want to let everyone know about a special blood drive that will be held for me soon. It will take place in the "old" fellowship hall (Ewell Martin Room) at J.J. White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 110 Third Street, McComb, MS, on Saturday, March 7, 2009, from 9 AM until 2 PM. Please support this blood drive if you can, either by donating blood or offering to help out. If you can't be here to donate this time, please try to donate at another blood drive, if you are able!

During the first part of January I experienced a bleeding colon due to diverticulosis. During my five days in ICU I received twelve pints of blood. That's a good bit, as I understand the average human body contains eight to twelve pints! I am much better now, and don't require new blood at this time, but for every pint of blood donated in my name, I will receive credit on my blood bill at the hospital. Patients are charged several hundred dollars per pint of blood transfused (unless they are part of a blood assurance program--see my previous blog on our Kiwanis meeting with Katie Swinney of United Blood Services ). In addition to helping me with my bill, and more importantly, this drive will help supply the blood bank for future needs of people with various blood types.

Me when I was in ICU. I actually look good here. When I presented at the ER, my wife said I was white as a ghost. My BP was 79/40!

Here are a few facts about the need for people to donate blood:

1. Every day, about 40,000 units of blood will be needed nationwide.

2.Every thirty seconds, ten people (perhaps one of your loved ones) will need blood.

3. About sixty percent of the population will need blood or blood components at some point in their lives.

Every donor will receive a free T-shirt and cholesterol check. To be given priority at donation time, you can make an appointment online at www.bloodhero.com (sponsor code jjwpm). To learn more about blood donation, visit United Blood Services . You may want to visit their frequently asked questions page, which answers questions about age and weight requirements, waiting time between donations, how to prepare for donating, among other things. See also the donor qualifications page. For questions regarding health, medications, or travel deferrals, call United Blood Services at 1-800-880-0743.

Also, to avoid having to go to the hospital like I did, be sure you include plenty of fiber (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.) in your diet, even if you don't really want to eat them! And if you do notice unexplained bleeding, please get to an urgent care facility as soon as you can!

Best wishes, and thank you!

McComb, MS: McComb School District Faring Well with State Education Budget Cuts

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:16:35 -0800

Recent education budget cuts handed down by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour have led many parents to wonder: "How will this affect the education of my child?" Both parents and taxpayers do not really need to be concerned, according to both McComb School District (MSD) Finance Director Cathy Jones and Superintendent Therese Palmertree. Jones said MSD is "well in the black" financially. Palmertree emphasized that the district will not cut items that directly affect the quality of education for the students. Changes to the budget would include such things as the possible non-renewal of certain "non-essential" positions, reduction in travel, and greater fuel conservation.

MSD Superintendent Therese Palmertree, left, with Finance Director Cathy Jones

In order to compensate for a state revenue shortfall, Governor Barbour cut expenditures to state agencies by about $158,000,000. Of that amount, reductions of state monies to public elementary and secondary schools totaled about $85,000,000, the majority of which included cuts in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). MAEP is "the state formula used to establish adequate current operation funding levels necessary for the programs of each school district to meet a successful level of student performance as established by the State Board of Education using current statistically relevant state assessment data."

Based on a memo from Wanda Cummins, Director of the Office of School Financial Services, Mississippi Department of Education, the MAEP reduction amount for MSD is $425,486.00, leaving $12,765,890.00 in MAEP funds for the district. This is about a 3.23% reduction for fiscal year 2009. The 2009 fiscal year runs from July 2008 to June 2009.

The first area of possible reduced spending is that of positions, whether teaching or clerical, that could be considered non-essential to the instructional process. When asked whether teacher positions would be affected by the budget cuts, Jones said, "We are looking at each position--if someone leaves--whether or not we'll fill it. We'll leave positions open as we can. But it will certainly be on a case-by-case basis." Palmertree added, "We have what we call a RIF policy (Reduction in Force), and we are making every effort not to have to utilize that board-approved policy. So instead of doing that, we have chosen to go the route of looking at those who are leaving and looking at those positions on an individual basis, as to whether it is an essential position that directly impacts children. What we're trying to do is for those positions and programs that directly impact the quality of the educational experience for children, we're trying to leave those alone. And by that we mean the teachers and assistant teachers, extracurricular activities, and sports, because we believe all of those are positives that directly impact children."

As far as vocational courses, Jones said that is strictly state-funded, and she does not anticipate any reductions in spending in this area. Palmertree added, "As a matter of fact, we're actually strengthening the vocational programs, because we are a pilot site for the high school re-design through a grant that involves strengthening those programs." Jones said the vocational curriculum has been updated for today's world of work, and the state has recently "pumped in hundreds of thousands of dollars" into Mississippi's vocational programs.

National Board Certified Teachers receive salary supplements of $6,000 to recognize them for their rigorous training to become board-certified. Although the program received 5% ($300.00) cuts per person in their supplements, MSD is absorbing the cuts so that the teachers can still be paid the full amount of their supplements.

There will not be any spending reductions in instructional supplies, as textbooks and other supplies were already purchased at the beginning of the year. "A lot of those are accreditation requirements, and we're certainly going to meet all those standards," Jones said.

The second area that will be reduced is travel. "We're going to look at prioritizing travel, and if it's travel that's essential to the quality of teaching and learning . . . we're going to approve that," Palmertree said. On the other hand, an example of possible restricted travel would be in athletics; travel to tournaments outside the conference will be curtailed.

The third area of reduced spending is utilities. The district has already begun reducing its heating and cooling expenses. Each of the principals is working on an energy conservation plan, and reasonable measures are being taken to adjust thermostats to save money.

Although some districts in the state are facing dire consequences with the budget cuts, MSD is not one of them. Jones said, "We have held a fairly conservative budget. We monitor it quite closely-every transaction is scrutinized here, and our budget is strictly followed. We've had perfect audits for the past twelve years."

McComb, MS: Community Parks Apartments "Family Day Out," Nov., 2008

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:41:45 -0800

On Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008, McComb residents ushered in the Thanksgiving season with a celebration at Community Parks Apartments. The day was filled with music, food, and fun. There were face painting and bicycle giveaways by the Mayor's Youth Council, horse rides conducted by the Big Brothers Riding Club, a house fire evacuation demonstration by the McComb Fire Department, a jumping dome, a basketball competition, and Wii games. Special acknowledgements go to the City of McComb, Mayor Zachary Patterson, the McComb Community Relations and Tourism Bureau, the McComb Recreation Department, the McComb Fire Department, and Ashley's Tires and Rims, with additional thanks to Community Parks Apartments, Walker Chapel FWBC, New Life Fellowship, 24^th Street COC, DJ and Emcee Aaron Tullos, and Mr. Charles Ashley (music management). We're all looking forward to another great time next year! Be sure to check out the MySpace links of the performers pictured! More photos can be viewed online at www.photoworks.com/members/tmorgan100. (Click on "View all" to see albums not pictured on the first page.

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Castro Coleman and Highly Favored

Face painting by the Mayor's Youth Council

Zach Patterson and Chyra

Guitarist with The Static Band

McComb, MS: SWMSCOM to Hold Antique Auction Fundraiser

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:57:40 -0800

On Saturday, November 15, 2008, Southwest Mississippi Christian Outreach Ministries (COM) will hold its first ever McComb Antique Show, Appraisals and Auction fundraiser. This promises to be a huge event attracting antiques lovers from all over the region.

Location: McComb Event Center, 1221 Parklane Road, McComb, MS (see map on the SWMSCOM website).

Registration: Begins at 8 AM the day of the auction.

Pre-register by bringing your items (one or two items) to SWMSCOM. (Avoid the lines!)

Appraisals: 9 AM-1 PM. $15.00 entrance fee. (You may bring two items.)

Auction: 1 PM-4 PM. No entrance fee. Lunch will be served for $5.00. Ten percent of all sale proceeds will go to SWMSCOM. Additional donations are accepted and appreciated. You may also donate by PayPal on the website. Parking is limited. SWMSCOM will not be responsible for unloading and loading of merchandise. Cash only. Hope you can come!

McComb, MS: Nelsen Adelard to Headline Camellia City Festival

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:54:17 -0700

McComb resident Nelsen Adelard will be headlining the second annual Camellia City Festival, sponsored by the McComb Community Relations and Tourism Bureau, on November 1, 2008, at Edgewood Park in McComb. The festival began last year when McComb native Bo Diddley visited the town and was honored with a Mississippi Blues Trail marker. This year promises to be a great event, as there many terrific musical performances scheduled.

Nelsen is a superb singer/songwriter and is an immense talent on the guitar, piano, and harmonica. Nelsen's upcoming performance at the Camellia City Festival comes on the heels of the release of his fifth solo album, South by Southwest, which describes Nelsen's musical journey from Los Angeles to McComb. The CD debuted a few weeks ago at number 39 on the Roots Blues Chart.

Adelard released his latest CD on his own new label: Blue Track Records. He tells of how he came up with the name: "Well, I wanted to start my own label. Right when we were thinking of moving down here, I was thinking, okay, we'll base it down in Mississippi, so I started thinking of, you know, my life, wanting to be on the right track, being in a positive direction. I'm thinking, well, Blues-I'm on a Blue Track. Because it's McComb, and it's got that [railroad] theme, all of a sudden it just came together for me." As to his plans for further recordings on Blue Track, Adelard says, "My next concept album that I'd like to do is to find a Blues guy from Mississippi that's never been recorded, or either a native who hasn't been recorded in thirty years, or something like that, and do an album with that person. Right now I'm doing research on it."

At the Camellia City Festival Nelsen will be accompanied by Baton Rouge musicians who recorded with him on his latest CD, Greg Worley on drums and James Slaughter on bass, and he will also have a guitar player who plays with all of them regularly, Elvin Killerbee from Big Al and the Heavyweights. "He's a really, really good guitar player. It's gonna add a nice flavor to the gig," Adelard says.

Adelard, a Connecticut native, was born into a musical family. "My mom was a singer. Her mother was a singer in vaudeville, and on my dad's side, both his parents were jazz dancers, so I grew up with music all the time. My mom taught me to sing harmony when I was five years old." His parents always played a lot of different music, including Louis Armstrong, "but a lot of Southern music, I grew up thinking was just music," Adelard said. "I didn't think of it in terms of being North or South or whatever. My mom used to have a 45 of Hank Williams doing ‘Jambalaya,' and I can remember singing it when I was barely able to stand up and sing! So I grew up with a mixture of Southern Roots."

Adelard began his professional musical career playing in nightclubs as a teenager. "I was very fortunate," he said. "When I turned eighteen, the drinking age turned eighteen. I started playing guitar when I was fourteen, so I had played for four years--and I was in a professional band, playing three or four nights a week when I was eighteen. Part of the scene at that time was Blues. The major guys from Chicago, like Muddy, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Junior Wells-all those cats were traveling on campus at the time. Blues was very big. A generation before--if I talk to someone who's in their sixties--they'll tell you what was on the campus at that time, in maybe the early sixties, was jazz. A lot of those cats are into jazz. Anyone who went to college between the early to late seventies listened to the Blues. We would do openers at a college mixer in Connecticut [Yale, U Conn, and others]. You'd pay four bucks to get in, and The Nelsen Adelard Band would open for Muddy Waters. So we'd play-I'm talking like a gymnasium!

"My first epiphany, as far as the Blues--I was probably fourteen or fifteen- and a friend of mine had B.B. King's Live in Cook County Jail, and he said ‘You need to hear this guy.' He put those first couple of songs on, and I got shivers up my spine. Although his guitar playing was great, it was his voice, and how earnest he sang. It wasn't like anything I'd ever heard. He was really telling people, instead of just singing a song. He lived the blues-he still does."

Speaking of shivers up your spine, that's just you'll get when you put on Nelsen's latest CD, South by Southwest, and listen to the track "Sweet Home in McComb." Nelsen tells of how that song came to be: "I moved down here, and I bought a beat-up old upright piano, and I started to write songs on that. When I write, I write on different instruments, like I'll pick up an acoustic guitar, and I'll play for a couple of days on that instrument, and it inspires me to write different tunes-same thing with an electric guitar. But piano inspires me in a different way, so there are several songs on the new album that were really inspired by playing this beat-up old piano, and one of them was ‘Sweet Home McComb.' I'll tell you how I got the idea for that: I was heading up North to play some gigs up there-I had been here maybe about a year-and as I'm driving up and I hit what was probably the Mason-Dixon line, I tell you-I swear to you-I started to feel a pain-now I know . . . because I started to feel a twinge in my heart, like ‘What am I doing? Why am I leaving?' I know I had business to do up North, but it was the weirdest thing. When I came back down through Pennsylvania, and I started coming back down South, I started feeling better, and when I crossed the Mississippi line, I was like ‘All right!' I've lived all over the place, and I've never felt that kind of emotion connected to a home."

Nelsen is indeed a great salesman for the city of McComb. "I want to get involved with the local people here, because I think this is a great town. Personally I think it's a great place for tourists to come down and see what the real South is like. It's a very hospitable place-really friendly people. Anybody that I have come down here-I had a lot of friends come down from LA, and they wanted to spend a weekend or whatever-they loved it, man! I'd drive them around town and show them the downtown area, and they fall in love with it--everybody. Even my band members from Baton Rouge, when I had them come up for a rehearsal one time, my bass player and drummer, they were like ‘Oh, man, this is the kind of place I want to retire in.' So everybody admires the town when they come for a visit, and I want to draw more and more people to the town, at least as tourists."

Nelsen has his own vision for the Camellia City Festival, as well: "I'd like to see it be a two-day festival, and make it into a Blues Festival, so that people from Europe come, or people from up North come down and spend two or three days in McComb to see the different acts. They do this up in the Delta, you know." Nelsen emphasizes how a major musical event like this would draw people in, and they will stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants, take in the scenery, and check the place out. "A two-day Blues and Jazz Festival, even if it's just like Jazz Fest is down in New Orleans-it's not just jazz-it's everything. I would like to see [the Camellia City Festival] build, and after a number of years, start to get some headliners that used to live here, like Kent Dykes [of Omar and the Howlers], and maybe bring in somebody like Buddy Guy. I think it's something that we can shoot for--maybe we have to crawl before we walk--but I think that would be a great idea. And I'd love to try to help-anything I can do to help put that together."

To learn more about Nelsen Adelard and his music (and to see full-length video performances!), please visit www.nelsenadelard.com . To see the lineup for this year's Camellia City Festival, go to www.discovermccomb.com .

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United Blood Services Needs You to Give the Gift of Life!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:21:30 -0700

Katie Swinney, Donor Recruitment Representative for United Blood Services, spoke recently to the Kiwanis Club of Pike County about the community blood program in Pike County and the impact blood donation has on people's lives.

Katie Swinney with Kiwanis Club of Pike County President Shelton Davis

Swinney began by explaining the local community blood program. "United Blood Services is the sole provider of blood for Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center; we also provide 100% of the blood for Walthall County, Field Memorial, and Beacham Memorial, and we supply blood to seventy other hospitals throughout the state of Mississippi, western Alabama, and Louisiana. I myself am responsible for twelve counties in Southwest Mississippi and two parishes in Louisiana. I've met the most wonderful people in McComb. It's such a wonderful community, and we're proud to be a partner with Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center and the other hospitals in our network."

"In Mississippi, every day it takes 300 blood donors just to meet our patient needs. That's not to have a supply on the shelf in case of emergency-that's just to meet needs. And we currently don't meet that. We currently import blood from our network of blood banks, which covers nineteen states. Per capita, Mississippi is the most charitable state, but we just can't get anybody to roll up their sleeve and give the gift of life. I think it's a lack of education on our part, and also just getting the information out there, asking, and really encouraging people and letting people know the need. Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center's annual usage is over 5,000 blood and blood products. The need here is huge, and we are working closely with organizations such as Kiwanis and other service organizations. We work through our schools, our churches, anything and everybody possible-we work with them to try to encourage people to give blood. The number one reason people say they don't donate is that they've never been asked. Through education programs like this, and through our schools, and encouraging early donation and lifelong donation, we are able to make a dent, and help supply what we need for our hospitals here."

Swinney next told of a blood assurance program that United Blood Services offers to businesses, clubs, and organizations. "If twelve-and-a-half percent of their active population give blood, or if that number of units is collected, we cover that organization for a period of six months," which means that in the event that a member of the covered group uses blood, United Blood Services reimburses the cost not paid by insurance to the hospital for that individual. For twenty-five percent participation, the group gets a year of coverage.

As an example of the blood assurance program, Swinney told of a man in Vicksburg for whose son United Blood Services is about to conduct some blood drives. "His seventeen-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, and this gentleman had donated at International Paper. That covered his son for the blood he will be using. This man had never donated blood before, and someone said, ‘Hey, will you come donate blood today,' and he said, ‘For some reason, I said sure! You never know when my family could need it.' And now his family needs it. United Blood Services is able to cover that huge financial burden on his family because he decided to go ahead and donate blood and help us supply the needs of that day, in that community."

Swinney told of the huge need for more donations: "We use blood to treat cancer patients, during surgery, to treat trauma-there are a multitude of uses. Every day our researchers are finding more and more uses for blood and blood therapy, transfusion therapy, to improve the quality of life, save lives, and make an impact in the community."

As a special incentive to come out and donate, United Blood Services has a promotion from September 15 through December 31, in which everyone age eighteen and older who donates with United Blood Services is entered into a drawing to win a 2009 Toyota Corolla LE or a seven-day cruise!

For blood donation guidelines and other information, including a posting of area blood drives and how you can sponsor a blood drive, please visit www.unitedbloodservices.org or www.bloodhero.com.

25th Anniversary Bike MS Event Raises Money to Fight Multiple Sclerosis

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:54:45 -0700

On Saturday and Sunday, October 4-5, 2008, the Louisiana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held its annual Bike MS event. Bike MS celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with about 1,000 cyclists making the 150-mile bike ride from Hammond, LA (starting at Southeastern's University Center) to Percy Quin State Park in McComb and then back to Hammond on Day Two. The majority of participants come from Louisiana but there are a few that come from all over the U.S. There are six rest stops each day about ten-twelve miles apart for cyclists to stop and refuel. There are also SAG (support and gear) vehicles that will pick up a cyclist if they are having issues with their bike or just need a drive to the next rest stop or to the end. There is a bike shop mechanic at each rest stop and at the park. This year a couple who met at last year's ride got married at the park! Bike MS provides all the cyclists meals on Saturday and Sunday. This year included steak and shrimp. The minimum fundraising amount is $250 and there is a $40 registration fee.

Bikers resting at Percy Quin after the long bike ride.

(Special thanks for helping with this blog to Jessica Tuite, Development Associate for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Louisiana Chapter.)

More photos can be viewed online at www.photoworks.com/members/tmorgan100. (Click on "View all" to see albums not pictured on the first page.

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McComb, MS 90-Day Residential Market Report, 7/1/08-9/30/08, and other reports

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:36:06 -0700

Three reports at once, plus previous reports:

The info on active listings is reflective of the date of the report, which for the first three is 10-13-08.

McComb, MS 90-Day Residential Market Report, 7/1/08-9/30/08

Number of Active Listings: 146

Average List Price of Active Listings: $156,640

Number of New Listings: 65

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $145,849

Number of Sold Listings: 38

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $103,226

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings: 134

McComb, MS 90-Day Residential Market Report, 4/1/08-6/30/08

Number of Active Listings: 146

Average List Price of Active Listings: $156,640

Number of New Listings: 50

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $146,399

Number of Sold Listings: 44

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $114,108

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings: 138

McComb, MS 90-Day Residential Market Report, 1/1/08-3/31/08

Number of Active Listings: 146

Average List Price of Active Listings: $156,640

Number of New Listings: 9

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $278,766

Number of Sold Listings: 33

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $98,678

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings: 163

For comparison, these are previous reports I posted:

McComb, MS 90-Day Residential Market Report, 10/31/07-1/29/08

Number of Active Listings: 135

Average List Price of Active Listings: $131,368

Number of New Listings: 55

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $139,189

Number of Sold Listings: 38

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $102,803

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings: 144

90-Day Residential Real Estate Market Report for McComb, Mississippi, 8/30/07-11/28/07

Number of Active Listings: 135

Average List Price of Active Listings: $135,138

Number of New Listings: 58

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $139,308

Number of Sold Listings: 37

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $110,636

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings: 101

90-Day Residential Real Estate Market Report for McComb, Mississippi, posted 9-1-07

Number of Active Listings: 135

Average List Price of Active Listings: $123,504

Number of New Listings: 78

Avg. List Price of New Listings: $134,219

Number of Sold Listings: 50

Avg. Sold Price of Sold Listings: $109,314

Avg. DOM of Sold Listings:111

Statistics based on information from the Southwest Mississippi Board of Realtors ProMatch results. Info believed to be accurate but not guaranteed.

Magnolia, MS: 831 Prewett Street South--Home for Sale

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:38:55 -0700

Well-maintained, cozy home in nice, quiet neighborhood. Country atmosphere in city limits. Hardwood floors. Security system. Azaleas, crepe myrtles, figs, and other trees in large yard. Fenced garden area. Clothesline in place. Owner is selling as is, but no known repairs are needed. Come see!

For more information, visit http://www.swmsre.com . Thank you!

McComb, MS: Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser on October 16, 2008

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:28:14 -0700

The Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel and the Rotary Club of McComb, MS, are planning an art showcase to benefit Pike County Habitat for Humanity on Thursday, Oct. 16, 5:30-7:30 PM, at the Hampton. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $15 per person. Corporate sponsorships and volunteer bid options are available, and may be purchased at Hampton Inn and Suites, McComb, Hospice Ministries, and State Bank. Committee members preparing for the event at the Japonica Gallery in McComb are, left to right, Robbin Daughdrill, Sam Sanders, Nancy Cowan, and Tiffany Chatkara.

Summit, MS: 13th Annual Mississippi Jazz Festival

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:17:05 -0700

The 13^th Annual Mississippi Jazz Festival was held at the Summit Rotary gym on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008. The festival this year was a tribute to Summit native John Gilmore, ace saxophonist who played with the famous Sun Ra's Arkestra. Performers were Mississippi and Louisiana musicians Dr. Ronald Myers, piano and trumpet; Sherrill Holly, saxophone; Dr. London Branch, bass; and Wilton Knott, Rufus Mapp, and Aye` Aton, percussion. Dr. Branch celebrated his birthday at the event, which was also the birthday of John Gilmore. For more information, see http://www.jazzmississippi.com/ .

Listen to the audio recording in which Aye’ Aton tells of how he played with Summit, MS, native John Gilmore in the Sun Ra Arkestra, Sherrill Holly speaks of meeting Gilmore and following the famous Sun Ra group, and Ron Myers gives tribute to Mississippi jazz legacies, including Lester “Prez” Young, who was born in Woodville, also in Southwest Mississippi. (Due to the less than excellent recording quality, I deleted the part where the band plays. Running time is 10:31.) Be sure to click on the 2.6 MB WAVE audio file option.

Individual musicians from left to right are identified in photos below.

Aye' Aton

Rufus Mapp

Wilton Knott

Sherrill Holly

London Branch

Ron Myers

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McComb High School at State Band Contest, 2008

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:41:34 -0700

I just posted my first video on the Internet! Click to see the McComb High School Marching Band performing their halftime show, "Down in New Orleans," at the state band contest in Pearl, MS. The All-Superior Marching Tiger Band once again won an overall ONE! Be sure to click "Watch in high quality" on the bottom right of the video.
You can also click to see photos of the band, cheerleaders, drill team, and color guard. Thanks for visiting!

SMCC President Oliver Young Speaks to Home Builders Association

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:17:34 -0700

Dr. Oliver Young, President of Southwest Mississippi Community College, spoke at a recent meeting of the Southwest Mississippi Home Builders Association. He told of how well SMCC students do compared to others, and he informed the group of recent and upcoming projects of the college.

Young began his comments by saying: "The people in this area support that community college really well. But that community college not only is a very valuable asset to this area, it's a very important industry in this area, and it's going to be even more viable in the future, as to what the community college offers and how it's involved with what's going on in this area."

SMCC offers excellent academic transfer courses. "That has always been kind of the heart and soul of a community college, Young said. "Our students, whenever they transfer to the universities, do as well as, or better than, the students who start at the universities. A lot of people don't realize that. A lot of people spend a lot more money to send their children to the universities." SMCC has many students for whom it costs very little or nothing to attend school there, depending on their ACT scores and scholarships.

Young read from a Mississippi State University report issued April 23, 2008, in which SMCC transfer students there had an overall GPA of 3.02. MSU native students had an overall GPA of 2.90. Young then read from a community college state board report that compared community college students across the state. Speaking of SMCC students who transferred to universities in Mississippi, Young said "our percentage of students graduating from the universities was the third highest, out of fifteen community colleges in the state." In addition, the percentages of the top two community colleges were not much higher than that of SMCC.

Several major foundations and research industries have rated the Mississippi community college system. "We are always rated in the top three in the nation in the quality of education that's provided, especially with the limited resources we have," Young said.

SMCC offer day and evening classes, even virtual classes. "We have somewhere around 70,000 students enrolled in virtual classes in the state of Mississippi," Young said. SMCC offers their own virtual classes, and SMMC students can also enroll in virtual classes offered by other community colleges. Japanese is one virtual class taught at SMCC. So someone working at the Toyota plant, for example, who needs to know Japanese for their job, can enroll in the virtual Japanese class at SMCC.

"We also offer twenty-eight or twenty-nine career and technical programs," Young said. "These students can go directly to work when they finish the program. They can either earn a certificate or an A.S. degree. We are working with the universities to get them to accept more and more of the technical courses to be applied toward a B.S. degree."

SMCC also provides extensive workforce training. "We trained over 15,000 citizens in Southwest MS last year in various aspects of their profession, anything from computer training to special skill training that their industry requires," Young said. "Workforce training is basically paid for by the state of MS. We just have to develop a project, and the state will pay for the instructor and the material. Many times the company itself has to find the instructor, but the state will pay for the instructor."

The school also has an Institute for Learning in Retirement. "We have about 225 or 250 or more retired citizens in the program," Young said. "Some of them may come out and take a short course, or computer training, or art. They come and have lunch with us the first Wednesday of every month during the school year, and they'll have a banquet, and plan trips to go to New Orleans or Mobile or different areas."

SMCC has many extracurricular activities, including a really good stage band and marching band, student government organizations, Phi Theta Kappa, and BSU (Baptist Student Union), which recently had one of the highest numbers of students agreeing to serve as summer missionaries. "They were like in the top three in the country," Young said. "They had twelve students who went on summer mission work in 2007. This past year we had nineteen students involved in summer missions."

Within the last three years that Dr. Young has been president of the college, they have accomplished several physical improvements. "We have finished the renovation of the science building," Young said. "If you haven't been in the science building, we'd love for you to come and go through it, because it is a very fine science building for a community college. We have some outstanding instructors there, and we are just very pleased with our science department. We used to house our math instructors in the science building also, but when we had to move in the Brumfield Building when our science department was being renovated, we decided to just leave our math department in the Brumfield Building."

"We've also renovated our fine arts building, and we're still in the process of doing some renovating. We've put in a new lighting system, new sound, new carpet, and we're in the process of completing the classrooms and hallway on the north side of the building."

"We've also renovated the humanities building. This summer we went through the entire building, painting and replacing the carpet with tile, and just really improved the appearance of the building. We've completed some renovation to the old cafeteria/student union building. We renovated the old bookstore area and made it into a massage therapy area. We renovated part of the building for our occupational safety and health program. They also converted a storage room into the campus security headquarters. We're in the process of renovating the rest of that building to house all of our health occupation programs, so that we can move our process technology program into the H.T. Huddleston Career and Technical Building."

The college also did some renovation of the baseball field. They removed the wire fencing from around the backstop, poured a really nice concrete area around the outside, and put up netting, instead of fencing. "Our baseball program," Young said, "is going to do really well."

The school also built a new women's softball field. "That was badly needed," Young said. "We were playing at the Summit Little League sometimes, and sometimes down at McComb and different places. That's been a nice addition to our athletic program. We also built a soccer field. This is the second year of the school's soccer program. We also built a new track. Last year was our first year to have a track program. For the first year, we had a very successful year. The women's team went to the national junior college championship and placed sixth, I believe. And we had one young lady that won first in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, and ran a winning relay, and she was voted the most outstanding female athlete at the NJCAA national championships, so we were very pleased with that. And our men's team, they ended up placing, I think, eleventh or twelfth, but we didn't have as many male athletes that qualified."

"The young lady that won the NJCCA title also participated in the Olympics this year. Her name is Sheniqua Ferguson, and she's actually from the Bahamas. This young lady has a lot of promise."

The school is in the process of building a nice new entranceway. "We will have a security post there," Young said. "We need to control entrance to that campus. There's too much going on in the world, and the students are pretty vulnerable. It's all about protecting those students and keeping undesirable people off the campus."

The other project the college has in the planning stage is a new men's dormitory. "Our men's dormitories are at least thirty years old," Young said, "and we looked at renovating those dormitories, and the cost was going to run somewhere around six million dollars. The board felt that would be putting good money into an old structure that really would not serve the purpose for our students. We would like to have more control over our dormitories. Our men's dormitories are motel-style, and the students pretty much have freedom to go and come, and it's hard to keep up with what's going on, if someone is into some kind of meanness or devilment. The projected cost of a new 150-bed dormitory, just for the building itself, is like nine million dollars. The legislature is not allocating a lot of bond money, so it may be a while before we can get enough funds, unless we can get some local support and get our supervisors to commit funding to help us and pay for it over, say, a twenty-year period. That's what most of the community colleges are doing. It's more difficult for our counties to provide us that local support because we do not have the tax base some other areas have."

One of the new programs SMCC has started in the last couple of years is clinical massage therapy. Carl Ray told Young about an excellent massage therapy program in Florida, and Young sent some people to Pensacola to look at it. At a trustees' meeting on the Mississippi Coast this summer, Young also noticed a full-page article in the Sun-Herald about the benefits of massage therapy after chest surgery. "When therapists massage those muscles, instead of contracting and pulling against each other, they relax, and the healing process is speeded up tremendously," Young said. "The massage therapy process is becoming more and more clinical." Students could take what they learn at SMCC in massage therapy and continue in equine therapy making a great income massaging racehorses. In the Olympics, Young said, "just about every one of those premier athletes had their own massage therapist" for their horse. "SMCC is the only public community college in Mississippi that offers massage therapy. The for-profit schools offer massage therapy at a cost of somewhere between ten and twenty thousand dollars. Our tuition cost is around two thousand. So we've had a number of students from Jackson and even north of Jackson to come down and enroll in our massage therapy program."

The school also began an occupational safety and health program, "because no one else in the state is offering that program, and we knew there is a larger and larger demand for it," Young said. They also added a medical billing and coding program, which is needed in this area. They have also doubled their LPN program. They had one LPN program to start in August, and another in January. "We always have a waiting list," Young said. "In fact, that waiting list is like a year to a year and a half." They have also increased their ADN program from 110 to 130. They do not have available clinical staff to increase the ADN program further at this time, unless they offer ADN courses on the weekend and at night.

The latest program the school has begun is process technology, an offering for the oilfield industry. With the expansion taking placing in the oilfield industry, Young says they expect that program to really grow. "We were very fortunate to locate four individuals that together have about 150 years of oilfield experience." When SMCC aligned with a company in Louisiana that provides all the training for the oilfield industry, the SMCC instructors went to Louisiana and trained with them.

SMCC is also working on a proposal for a regional emergency training facility. They have been to a couple of facilities to explore the opportunity. Young said, "Texas A&M has a premier emergency training center, including 50-something acres that they call ‘Disaster City.' Almost any kind of disaster you can think of, they have specialized training for it. We're going to pursue every potential resource we can to try to acquire the funding necessary to develop a regional training facility. That would bring in a lot of people, and they would have to stay in the motels, and buy their food, etc., and they have to receive their training usually on an annual basis." These would be people like firemen, police, National Guard--any number of different professions. "It may take us a year or two," Young said, "but we feel like it is well worth the time and investment."

SWMSCOM Website Now Live!

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:35:29 -0700

Hi,

I promised I'd let you know when I got the website for Southwest Mississippi Christian Outreach Ministries up and running. Well, it's now online. Here is the address: http://www.swmsoutreach.org/ . We hope to add our PayPal account to the website soon (for donations). In the meantime, please see my previous blog on SWMSCOM . Thank you!

McComb, MS: MHS Athletic Director Sam West Speaks to Kiwanis Club of Pike County

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:39:10 -0700

Coach Sam West, the new athletic director at McComb High School, spoke recently to the Kiwanis Club of Pike County. He recognized several similarities between Kiwanis and his own mission. "Being the athletic director at McComb High School, I live and die for one thing: I want to help children and adults alike have extraordinary, life-changing moments." One of the things begun at MHS this year is a scholar athletes program. "Every student who has a 3.0 GPA or higher from last year, we're going to have a big pizza party for them. We're going to give them all T-shirts with ‘McComb High School Scholar Athletes' on them, with different symbols and signs for the different sports. We've also started back our FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) again, and we believe if we can get FCA grounded and rooted back into the school system, and really put Christ, really put God, back where He needs to be in the school," West said, significant changes will be seen in the students' lives. "We meet every Tuesday morning at 7:25, and on some of those Tuesday mornings, we would love for you prayer warriors to come, and you don't have to say a word, just walk the halls and lay hands on teachers' doors. And whatever of God's spirit you've got on you, allow that spirit to just saturate and marinate that high school or junior high."

MHS scholar athletes are also involved in a reading program, where they will go into Otken and Kennedy and visit classrooms and read, "and just let the little kids see them," West said. West noted that reading to children is another way his scholar athletes program is similar to that of Kiwanis.

"We also want to make sure that our teams are very competitive. We have outstanding coaches who are able to discipline and motivate players, and can communicate to parents and the community," West said. "I'm from Natchez, and all my life there was a rivalry between Natchez and McComb like you've never seen, because of one reason: we both had green and gold! And we wanted to focus on why our green and gold was better than your green and gold!"

"The bottom line is, we want to make sure in McComb High School and the whole school district, in terms of athletics, that we're able to reach children right where they are, and take them to a level they've never been to before. We want to let everybody know that we're really serious about what we're doing." West concluded with a Biblical reference: "One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Job. If you search the scriptures real close, you'll see that on each of three occasions (when bad things happened to Job), one person was left to run and tell Job what happened. See, to me, a Kiwanis Club is that one person-there are things you can do, places you can go, people you can touch that others can't."

West also brought copies of the book Y'all vs. Us, a recently published book about fifteen Mississippi high school rivalries. In the book is a chapter devoted to McComb vs. Brookhaven. (They play again in McComb on September 19, 2008, by the way!) The athletic department is selling them for $34.95 as a fundraiser. A portion of all book sales also benefits the Mississippi High School Activities Association. The book is available with fifteen different covers, one for each athletic rivalry. Be sure to get yours now!

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McComb, MS: Mayor's Youth Council Strengthens Our Community

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:26:47 -0700

he Mayor's Youth Council (Mayor Zach Patterson, McComb, Mississippi) has been actively involved in strengthening our community since its inception in April of 2008. The thirteen young people on the council represent all the area high schools. They have been developing their leadership skills through formal training and a number of volunteer community service projects, and they have a developing slate of events scheduled for the rest of the year.

Training for McComb's youth council members began with the first annual MML (Mississippi Municipal League) Statewide Youth Leadership Summit in Hattiesburg on May 1, 2008. Members also attended the 77^th annual MML Youth Track conference in Biloxi on June 24. Additional training has included the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service three-day leadership camps in Vicksburg and Florence, MS. They have also received public speaking training from the Toastmasters of Pike County.

Mayor's Youth Council members at the MML Youth Track conference in Biloxi, with McComb Mayor Zachary Patterson. Photo by Cornelia Gayden.

Members participated in the Keep Pike County Beautiful Great American Cleanup on two occasions in the spring, and they recently partnered with United Blood Services to assist in their blood drive projects. A major community service project continuing through October 10, 2008, is the 1,000 Toothbrushes Project for the American Red Cross. Members of the public are asked to donate new, unopened toothbrushes. The donated toothbrushes will be placed in comfort bags to be used in the event of a disaster. Drop-off locations are McComb School District's Tiger Activity Complex (TAC), McComb Sports Park, and the main offices of McComb and North Pike High Schools.

Upcoming events planned for the Mayor's Youth Council are the following:

*Monday, Sept. 22 at 5:30 PM-Officers and members will be introduced at the city board work session, at which the officers will make a formal presentation.

*Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 12 PM, Days Inn of McComb-Officers Donovan Hill and Morgan Smith will give a formal presentation to the Kiwanis Club of Pike County.

*Saturday, Oct. 4 at 8:30 AM, Edgewood Park-Members will turn in the money they have raised for the March of Dimes and will participate in the March for Babies.

*Saturday, Nov. 1, Edgewood Park-Members will operate a teen awareness booth at the Camellia City Festival.

*Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2:00-6:00 PM, Tiger Activity Complex (TAC)-- Members will operate a teen health and wellness awareness booth for the Student/Community Health Fair.

An important goal of the Mayor's Youth Council is increasing communication between the city's young people and the city council members. Youth members, with the support of adult mentors, develop and lead community initiatives affecting young people. Members also train and involve their peers in service leadership.

As an expression of association with the city board, the Mayor's Youth Council meets at the Tiger Activity Complex (TAC) on the second and fourth Mondays at 7 PM, the same time city work sessions are held. Cornelia Gayden is the steering committee chairman. Officers are as follows:

Chairman: Donovan Hill, McComb High School
Vice Chairman: Donnisha Young, North Pike High School
Secretary: Charlene Green, South Pike High School
Parliamentarian: Morgan Smith, Parklane Academy
Historian: Quartavia Winding, McComb High School

New members of the Mayor's Youth Council. Photo by Cornelia Gayden.

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McComb, MS: Southwest Mississippi Christian Outreach Ministries Needs You!

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:03:46 -0700

Are you looking for a way to help others in need? Then Southwest Mississippi Christian Outreach Ministries (COM) needs you! At a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Pike County, members heard how COM serves our community in a number of ways, from running a thrift store and food pantry to assisting home fire victims and providing job training to area women.

Inside the thrift store.

The thrift store, located in Pike Center Mart along with the rest of the outreach ministries’ facilities, may well be the neatest, best-organized collection of thrift items you’ll find anywhere! The staff at COM will gladly receive your gently used items to add to the store. If either you or someone you know is moving, and would like to lighten your load, consider donating furniture, appliances, dishes, cookware, bedding, or towels, along with clothing!

COM Director Jean Spring related to the club that the food pantry is serving more and more elderly people as the cost of living increases. Food donations are always needed, whether it’s frozen deer or hamburger meat or canned foods or cereal. Spring suggests donations of canned soft goods, such as stews, tuna, and fruit that are easy on the teeth of elderly clients. Monetary donations are also always welcome!

The food pantry.

The word ministries in the organization’s name has real meaning. The entire mission is a Christ-centered one. The group offers free Bibles and Christian literature to anyone who visits their operation. They also pray with clients and offer the plan of salvation to them. The staff at COM also offers assistance (by appointment) to those who need help with paying for medications and utilities, along with food and clothing. Client interviews are conducted first to determine the individual’s needs. “We do not assist people just because they come in and want their light bill paid for them; that’s not the way we operate,” Spring said. In some extreme emergency situations clearly beyond an individual’s control, the mission will help out in unplanned ways. “If God says do it, we just do it” Spring noted.

The mission is also active in a nursing home ministry, providing various items needed by patients who have no family that can or will assist them with their personal needs. “We currently have fifty-seven nursing home residents just in Pike and Amite County that we are serving. Some of these residents do have family, but they just choose not to go by and check on them,” Spring said. One of Spring’s favorite services to the nursing home residents is the “general store” set up at the nursing home, where patients are given Monopoly money to “purchase” groceries and other items. “You haven’t lived until you see about 25 wheelchairs lined up with their Monopoly money waving, ready to go shopping!”

Another unfilled need many people probably are not aware exists in this area is that of a homeless shelter. “On three occasions, I have walked out to our back loading dock area to find that someone had made a bed there. They had stuck boxes around them to keep the wind off,” Spring recalled. “It happens in big cities, but it shouldn’t happen here in McComb, Mississippi.” The mission would like to open a homeless shelter, and is looking for the right building. If you or someone you know has the means and desire to donate a house that can be used for a shelter, Mrs. Spring would love to hear from you!

In addition to the above-mentioned services, COM aids the public by providing disaster relief to both victims and emergency workers, and providing motel accommodations during emergency situations.

Next on the agenda at the Kiwanis Club meeting were representatives of the Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC), a women’s training service operating under the umbrella of COM. Edith Parkman is the CWJC site coordinator, and Shari Mancuso is her assistant. Established in 1994 by the Southern Baptist WMU (Women’s Missionary Union), the job corps takes a “Christ-centered approach to preparing women for whatever comes to them in life,” Parkman said. The service is greatly needed today because so many women today are heads of households. The CWJC combats the “welfare mentality that is passed down from generation to generation. It’s time for that to stop,” asserted Parkman.

The CWJC is composed solely of Christian women helping women. “Women are able to understand other women, listen, and feel what a women feels” in a way that men cannot, Parkman noted. There are three main goals of the CWJC: 1. to bring the women into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (prospective participants must agree to attend Bible study classes to qualify for the program), 2. to provide job skills, and 3. to increase self-esteem (“If you don’t feel good about yourself, then you will not be able to pass down to your children the self-esteem they need, also,” Parkman said.) Some of the job and life skills participants learn in the classroom are computer proficiency, anger management, nutrition, goal setting, budgeting, resume writing, job interviewing, and dressing for success. Regarding nutrition education, Parkman observed, “It’s one thing to go to COM and get groceries, but if you don’t know how to come back and properly prepare the meal—if you come back and grease it up with fatback—you’re still in trouble!”

Every CWJC participant is required to have a mentor who has agreed to spend at least one hour per week for about a year assisting the client—working on goals, both celebrating victories and working through challenges. “The mentor is there for support, not to solve all the client’s problems for them, but to help them solve their own problems,” Parkman said.

The CWJC is actively looking for women mentors, women volunteers who can teach any of the above-mentioned classes (after proper training), and business professionals who are willing to give the “graduating” participants a chance in the workplace. In addition, if you know of a woman who would benefit as a participant in the program, you can contact Parkman or Mancuso at COM.

Southwest Mississippi Christian Outreach Ministries is located in Pike Center Mart, 1200 LaSalle Street, Building #1. Phone: 601-250-0177. Email: swmscom@bellsouth.net . Mailing address for monetary donations: P.O. Box 2278, McComb, MS 39649. (SWMSCOM is a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization.) [The website address is www.swmsoutreach.org. We have a PayPal account that enables us to receive donations online. Of particular need at this time is financial assistance for our planned domestic violence shelter. The thrift store is open 9 AM until 5 PM, Monday through Saturday. For other needs, please call for scheduling.

McComb, MS: Dr. Sharon Slater-Smith, MHS Principal, Speaks to Kiwanis Club of Pike County

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:02:18 -0700

At a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Pike County, Dr. Sharon Slater-Smith, principal of McComb High School, spoke about her vision for this coming school year.

Her first goal is to increase overall student performance. Referring to the state tests that measure students’ achievement, Slater said, “It is my position with my students that we are to exceed the limit set on us by the state tests. I don’t want us wondering when our scores will be back and crossing our fingers until they come in July. I said to my teachers, ‘If you are actively engaging children in the learning process, you don’t have to worry about it—you will see the results.” As a personal example, Slater mentioned that her son, who is taking Spanish at MHS, recently came home and excitedly spoke some Spanish for her. “Half his words were messed up, but what I heard behind those messed up words was a passion for learning Spanish. If we can create a passion for learning something, the learning will take care of itself.”

Slater’s second goal is an increase in parental involvement. “We need our parents to become involved so we’re going to them first. I’m starting in the churches and in the community events that take place. Everywhere I go I say to them, ‘I need you to be involved with your children. Make sure you’re asking them, ‘Did you do your homework? What did you learn today?’’”

Her third goal is an increase in community involvement. “McComb High School is a phenomenal school, made of phenomenal children. You all can help us with your words. Words have power. When someone asks you about McComb High School, you sell us big, and we will live up to it!” Slater’s humorous nature showed itself as she said, “Sell us in the best way you can—sell the principal like she is the Queen—‘You know I heard they’ve got this outstanding, intelligent, beautiful principal up there!’”

“Whenever people ask me what I do,” Slater said, “I tell them I work for McComb High School. When they ask me what I teach, I tell them I’m the principal, and they say, ‘Oooohhh; I sure hate that you got that job!’ That shouldn’t be. The minute I tell people I’m the principal, they should say, ‘I wish had your job!’ We’ve got to get the community thinking that way. Teaching is not the worst profession in the world—it’s the greatest! And being the principal is just wonderful, because I get a chance to develop teachers, and teachers then get the opportunity and the tools and the resources to develop children. What better job is there than to develop children? They’re not our future—they’re our ‘right now.’”

One area Dr. Slater wants to decrease is the achievement gap. “It once was a race thing, but now it’s more of a poverty gap, where our low-resource children score lower, and our high-resource children score higher. But that just shouldn’t be. Our children at McComb High School are going to receive quality instruction—I don’t care what their background is. I don’t care if they come from the old projects, new projects, or the future development projects--they’re not project children when they come to McComb High School, they’re just children. Yes, they think they’re half-grown, but to me, they’re children. And one of the ways out of poverty is to become educated. I tell people I’m proud of the fact that we were just dirt poor when I came up in Bogue Chitto. I know the reason I made it from poverty to where I am now--which I call a huge success because I get to work with kids--is education. Teachers never saw me as this little poor kid. ‘Sharon, you can read this book. Now you’ve got ten minutes, and then I’ve got another book for you to read!’ And I was like, ‘Bring ‘em on, bring ‘em on—I’ll read ‘em, then!’ So education makes a difference in a lot of our children who are impoverished, and we are seeing a gap based on their resources; not everyone has the Internet, or laptops, or a computer. I want to decrease that gap by what we do at the school. When they come to school, they are all even to us, and we’re going to make sure that they receive an even education. Impoverished students, the affluent—everybody’s going to get the best that we have.”

Slater told of her method of educating each child to the fullest through rigor, relevance, and building relationships. “Rigor means we’re going to involve the children and raise their level of engagement. Teach for a while and then ask the kids questions. Slater engaged the club members by asking them to give as many uses they could think of for a big book. Responses ranged from becoming more knowledgeable to using a book to stand on to reach a cookie jar! The more a child understands the ‘why,’ he’ll always remember the ‘how.’ The next time a child wants to get cookies out of a jar, he’s going to know just how to do it. At McComb High School, we’re not just teaching on a surface level; we’re digging a little bit deeper. When children are forced to make something relevant to their lives, they never, ever forget it.”

Teachers at MHS are going to make sure that what they teach is relevant--something they can use in their lives. “Not just ‘Memorize the 27 prepositions; you may never need this in your lifetime—memorize them, anyway, because you’ve got nothing better to do.’ We’re not teaching that way anymore. If it’s not relevant—who cares? Kids today are smart enough to just ask, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’” Both teachers and students are instructed to not only identify the learning material, but also the ‘why.’ “We put this in the teacher’s handbook,” Slater said.

Slater and other administrators are also trying to build better relationships with children. “Administrators now have appointment forms. If a child wants to see us, they fill out an appointment form, and we sit with them one-on-one. You would be amazed what that does for a student, to know that he or she just had a one-on-one conversation with the principal, talking around the table, not across the desk from each other. That’s building relationships.”

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McComb, MS: Cooper Postcard Collection, 1892-1927

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:02:43 -0700

There is a wonderful collection of postcards created by Forrest Lamar Cooper from 1892 to 1927 available for viewing at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History website. Many of the photos depict scenes from McComb, including several images of downtown McComb, stately residences, the railroad, the J.J. White lumber company, the cotton mills, city hospital, banks, churches, schools, the post office, city hall, and even Teddy Roosevelt's visit to McComb. There are also many great photos of the Gulf Coast and other areas. At the site you can browse the collection and search for postcards by keyword. Here is the link: http://mdah.state.ms.us/arlib/contents/er/cooper/