Skip to content

Street Talk

By Mickey Howley

If you write for this newspaper, what goes on the printed page you hope is material worth your reader’s time. I think most of us who write for the paper don’t expect many comments about the articles. Well, maybe it is just me not expecting, I know the intricacies of historic preservation and economic development can be quite a yawn. 

Not a fun 500 words, three minutes of your life lost.  My column last week, the one about dog droppings on Main Street, was different. In 10-plus years it was the column I’ve had the most positive feedback on. People notice crap when they see it or read it. One reader, while driving down this Main Street yelled out his pickup truck window “Bellissimo.” 

That’s right, we’ve got Italian being shouted on our Main Street as praise for poop prevention. I’d bet money no other Mississippi town has that. Most of the comments were that people and pets on Main Street are a very good indicator of life downtown, but cleaning up is important. Why public pet defecation seems to be a most popular topic, I’ll not speculate. But thanks for reading and the comments.

There’s a block party on the 200 block of North Main this Friday. Last year we had one and it was rained out. A hard rain. This year, the wettest year in a half century, we’re going to try again. Plus, there’s an outside concert in the Pocket Park. The band is the Jackson-based group Young Valley, a very good name for a band playing in the Valley. 

The Block Party with games and stuff starts at 5 p.m. in the grassy area at Panola and Main. The concert in the Pocket Park at Wagner and Main starts at 7 p.m. Hoping for no rain and no 90-degree temps either, please. Come hear the new sound system. 

Lighting up the evening are stage spotlights courtesy of the First Baptist Church. Yes, a light show, too. No charge at all.

Last Wednesday May 22 Britton Walker and Purvie Green, who are the Farmers Market folks from the Department of Agriculture; and Frances Moody, who is the director of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program at the Mississippi State Department of Health, were in town for a meeting at the Main Street office with local growers. 

Frances said that in the U.S.A. nearly 10 percent of the population has diabetes or diabetic issues. In Mississippi, it is 15 percent. Why you ask? There are a number of reasons, but diet is one of the main ones. Hence the outreach to growers and the emphasis on healthy eating. 

Frances said if half your plate was fresh vegetables and fruit, the emphasis on fresh, that would go a long way in solving this epidemic. Purvie and Britton believe Farmers Markets and growers can play a key role in this, especially in a state like Mississippi with such fertile soil and a long growing season. The reason for their visit was to see how many growers would participate in a new initiative by both departments in getting folks to eat more local and fresh.  

The Farmers Market is this Saturday morning from 9 to noon and located right downtown. The produce is local and fresh, as always.

Leave a Comment