Catching Up in the Valley: News & Nostalgia
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
I was out of town for a good part of the summer but have been back in good old Water Valley for about a week now. Catching up on our local news was easy thanks to the Herald. The issues I missed sat folded on the coffee table, waiting for my return. They survived a week or two longer than normal, as they usually turn into fire-starter kindling for the grill once a newer issue comes out. Finding the latest old issue of our newspaper is the first step in my husband’s excellent grilled BBQ chicken splits!
The Herald nourishes not just our minds and sense of community but our bodies, as well! Ya can’t get that on Fox or CNN.
I was glad to read how busy and productive our city’s elected officials have been this summer. The last City Board meeting was a full agenda – oversight committees for when the power goes out and there’s no sight (much less oversight), and a crosswalk approval for the creek bridge with the asteroid painted on it. You know, normal stuff.
Entertaining to me on a personal level was the adjustment to the old beer ordinance. I had almost forgotten about that era in Water Valley’s history: The Beer Wars. The revolution on beer prohibition peaked in 2007, the year I had my first child, a little boy. Now that child is 18 years old, pals around all day and night with his Water Valley boys, and is attending Ole Miss in the fall. In three years he will try his first beer and won’t like it. My, how time flies.
The current City Board dropped the “in anticipation of a meal” clause (requiring a semi-promised food purchase) that was added to the ordinance in 2014. That clause never made any sense. Personally, I’m always anticipating a meal no matter what I’m doing, so the clause would not have affected my ability to purchase a beer or not. By default, I was immune. But I did have sympathy for those who have some self-control and aren’t constantly on the hunt for appetizers.
I was most pleased to see the formation of a Water Valley Parks Commission! I love parks! I’ve used our town’s parks every single day for 20 years on my walks and my ever-struggling running routines. Our town has many parks for its size – Railroad Park, Pocket Park, Baker Street Park, City Park, and, my personal favorite, Crawford Sports Complex. And now we can add the Yalobusha Greenways Trail to that list. For a town that’s essentially only one mile long, that’s a pretty impressive park-to-town ratio! Each of our town’s parks has its own personality, history, attributes, and – most importantly – potential.
I’d put “paying attention to our parks” in the top three actions we can do to improve our town as a whole.
Lastly, it’s hot as the center of the sun outside, so that means we’re still 10 degrees cooler than the Watermelon Carnival. But, you know, that’s why we love it. Time to decorate your porches and storefronts and thank your local Chamber member for their hard work! Only two and a half weeks to go!
