Past Chamber Year Was Friendly, Fast, Fun And Fantastic

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – As the Water Valley Chamber of Commerce closed the 2017-18 year at last Friday’s annual banquet, outgoing president Linda Maynor summed up the last 12 months in four words – fast, fun, friendly and fantastic.  

Topping the highlights of the years that Maynor shared was the renovation of the Chamber’s Main Street office. 

“It is so nice to have a welcome to Water Valley center,” Maynor said about the transformed office as she thanked Julie Tyler and her committee for the work on the building. 

Her remarks came at the close of the banquet that starts each year with the annual State of the City Address delivered by the mayor.  In his first trip to the podium to deliver the annual address, Mayor Donald Gray provided a brief overview of ongoing work in the city, citing three grants that include a $579,000 sewage grant to replace a portion of the city’s main sewage line, the final portion of a $189,000 grant for work at the airport and a $233,000 grant that will soon get underway to refurbish the water tank on West Lee Street.  

Gray also noted the city board is in the process of cleaning up dilapidated properties in town.

“When properties are dilapidated, it affects all of our real estate prices,” the mayor noted. 

Gray also pointed to a newly implemented tax abatement program in the city as an economic development tool to assist new or existing businesses.

The mayor, who took office after winning a special election in January, also shared a personal experience since taking office as he recalled a near-death experience after a huge tree crashed down on his house on the night of March 11 and the outpouring of support afterwards. 

“You just don’t know what it means, it was the scariest part of my life. I want to thank y’all for your prayers, I want thank you for your support and I thank the chamber for promoting our town,” a visibly emotional Gray said in closing.

Honorary Ambassador

Next Chuck Upchurch introduced Gaylon Booker as the Water Valley Honorary Ambassador for 2018. The annual award is presented to a person with Water Valley connections, who because of distance, work schedules or other circumstances, could not live here but has spoken well of the community.

“This year we named a native son, Gaylon Booker, who lived not to far away during his working years, but returned to Water Valley with his wife, Elsie, to spend his retirement years here,” Upchurch explained.

Upchurch told attendees that Booker spent 41 years in different roles at the National Cotton Council in Memphis before coming home.

“Being an ambassador for Water Valley is an easy thing to do if you grew up here in the ‘40s and ‘50s,” Booker added about the award.  “But recently Water Valley has done a lot of things that have made it even easier to be a spokesman for the town. We  see the sprucing of Main Street, new businesses and re-purposing buildings for different things.”

Booker added that it is  reassuring to see old standbys on Main Street, citing deep-rooted businesses like Turnage Drug Store, Mechanics Bank and Larson’s grocery store.

“Larson’s grocery store provided employment for me as a teenager and it is good to have that business stay there under the same ownership all these years,” Booker added.

“It has been a real pleasure growing up here, it has been a real pleasure coming back here, thank you,” Booker added. 

Next Tommy White introduced the guest speaker for the night, Cary Vaughn, along with his wife, Lalania Vaughn, who provided entertainment during the banquet.

“Cary and I have come to know each other through Rotary International,” White said, adding Cary is CEO of Love Worth Finding Ministry in Memphis, a worldwide television and internet ministry with potential to reach 700 million households around the world.

“There are only two types of Chamber members, a contributor or a consumer,” Cary Vaughn said, as he challenged Chamber members to be involved in the organization and in the community.

Larry Hart was then recognized for service as the city’s mayor that spanned 24 years and three months, making him the longest-serving mayor since the early 1900s.

“That is a long time to serve Water Valley and we appreciate it,” Maynor noted. “I never did get a no from you, anything I called you said you would take care of it. You don’t know how much that means and we just wanted to let you know we appreciate it,” Maynor told the retired mayor.

“That is a pretty big trip,” Hart noted about the two-plus decades serving as the city’s top elected officials. “I have been a very blessed mayor because we have wonderful clubs and organizations in our community. They really make a fellow look good, they sure do, and I give all the praise to God.”

Maynor then gave her final comments as president, noting the year-long service was a pleasure.

“Y’all had my back, you covered me when I couldn’t be there. Eleven board members you could get along with and I appreciate every one of you. She  also praised the commitment from Chamber’s executive director, Zandra Walker, who invests countless hours with the organization in her part-time position, and Linda White’s hard work as publicity chairman.

“We will have to continue moving forward, or we will fall backwards,” Maynor said as she officially passed the gavel to incoming president Nell Jobe.

Maynor was presented a plaque for her service by Jobe before the Chamber officers were introduced which include Jack Sartain as vice-president, Raymond Hawkins as treasurer and Linda White as secretary. 

Jobe also introduced Chamber directors who will continue to serve in the coming year – Clay Ashford, Terry Champion, Sasha Hyde and Julie Tyler. New directors elected to serve for the next three years were also recognized –  Angie Hodge, Joeli Williamson, Curtis Todd and Chuck Upchurch.

“Let the fun begin, we will put y’all to work,” Jobe added as the 2018-19 year officially got underway.