Street Talk
Purvie Green and Britton Walker work for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Purvie is the Farmers Market guy for the state and I’ve talked with him over the last decade about our market in Water Valley. Britton is outreach coordinator for produce safety. Last Thursday they were in town and talked with several market growers and the new manager Kevin Guyer.
Purvie feels that Mississippi Farmers Markets and eating local and fresh produce could be key elements in the overall obesity issue in the state. Yes, we’re fat. He didn’t say that, but look in the mirror. Plus, it just makes good economic sense and health sense to buy from a local grower and eat just-picked produce. The Farmers Market opens April 20 Saturday morning.
By Mickey Howley
It might be cutting it tight, as this paper gets distributed on Wednesday morning, but the 2018 State Champion Water Valley Blue Devil High School football team championship ring ceremony will be at the pavilion in Railroad Park on Main Street at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening April 3. If you’re downtown or if you’re not, come out and participate in the team’s championship ring event.
Next Monday, April 8, at 6 p.m. in the First Baptist Church Activity Center is the Water Valley Chamber of Commerce banquet. Northwest Community College President Dr. Michael Heindl will be the featured speaker. I’m interested in what he says, Northwest is a partner with Water Valley’s Base Camp Coding Academy. NWCC is also a key partner in the return on the Big Yank building into an education center.
Meanwhile in downtown Oxford the new four story parking garage is going to cost you when you visit their downtown. Here’s the latest pay-to-park scale for their downtown.
Parking on the Square is metered at $1.25 an hour, the new parking garage offers free parking on the second-through-fourth floors of the garage from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 50 cents an hour after 5 p.m. with the first floor being $1 an hour to park. Parking in the outer lots would be 75 cents an hour and the lot under the water tower would still be free parking. But that’s a pretty good walk to the Square – will burn calories.
Most of this parking situation is restaurant driven. It is apple and oranges to compare the Valley to Oxford. Their population make up and size is just different from ours. Though I’ll just mention good food and places to eat are always a top five community desire factor along with safety and good schools.
Parking costs are a general dislike. This paying for parking raises an opportunity for the Valley. Will we be able to leverage this, can we position ourselves to take a percentage of their excess? Oxford for years has siphoned off money from the Valley. Can we keep reversing that? Do we even care?
Don’t be Square, Escape to the Valley.
