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Oakland News
By Linda Aldy
Oakland was selected for a grant to help us celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from the America250 Mississippi and the Mississippi Humanities Council. Numerous groups have come together to organize events, including the Oakland Area Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Area Lions Club, Friends of the Library, Oakland Beautification Committee, the Town of Oakland, and our youth.
We have numerous activities planned to honor this significant anniversary in our country’s history. Kicking off our celebration, our Yalo-Ribbon Festival on May 2 will feature Danica Hart, who will add some patriotic music to her set. Our celebration will run through the fall with activities and events.
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, from noon until 2 p.m., the Oakland Lions Club is spearheading a Memorial Day Tribute Walk. If you have a loved one who died serving our country, please get in touch with Cassaundra Pipkin by texting 662-360-5689 or emailing LaTonya Sayles at Oaklandarealionsclub@gmail.com before May 9 to have your loved one included in the tribute.
We are also purchasing patriotic décor and flags to make the Town of Oakland look festive during our celebration.
July 4th will bring a community-wide birthday party with cake, ice cream, watermelon, music and possibly fireworks!
We are working to identify and collect oral histories and stories from our residents, along with programs to be held sharing the history of the town, the railroad, schools, churches, and businesses. We are also planning a living time capsule for future residents to discover. Our annual Back to School Celebration will incorporate a related scavenger hunt along with a community picnic and music.
Our Oakland youth have elected to be involved by cleaning the two cemeteries inside the town limits. Stay tuned for details as we move through the calendar!
March 20 is not only the first day of spring, but International Day of Happiness, and this year’s theme, Social Media and Happiness, highlights potential challenges for our wellbeing as well as ways we can all use tech for good. Using social media in a healthy way includes 1. Being mindful of if, when, and how much you are on social media. Ask yourself what you really want to do instead of social media, such as listening to music, drawing, gardening, going for a walk or playing with your children or pets. Set a timer so your scrolling is “a short snack rather than a wormhole.” 2. Don’t let scrolling be a substitute for real connections. Phone a friend for a chat, plan an adventure with friends or family, use social media to connect with supportive friends and communities. 3. Personalize your experience to support your wellbeing. Follow positive accounts, don’t doom scroll, share uplifting stories, messages and ideas, and be aware of misinformation. Be kind in social media comments.
The new World Happiness Report was just released. The report states that Nordic countries retain the top spots in the world happiness rankings, Finland is No.1 (again!), followed by Iceland, then Denmark; Costa Rica has jumped to 4th place.
The report also features new research on social media and happiness. It found teenagers using social media for long hours report much lower life satisfaction than light users. However not all screen time is equal: activities like messaging, learning and creating content are linked to higher wellbeing, while passive scrolling, gaming, and “browsing for fun” are linked to lower wellbeing.”
Let me know if you have news to include. Contact me via email at oaklandareachamber@gmail.com or text or leave a message at 601-853-3942.
