A Sweet Celebration Marking 250 Years
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Oakland Volunteer Fire Chief Rich Ross lights the candles representing America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This year is officially half over—that date occurred on July 2 at noon! Time to decide what the rest of 2026 is going to hold for you. I think we have plenty to focus on in Oakland as we continue our work in community development. We will move forward with establishing a Montessori Pre-School. That is a huge undertaking, and as you read this we will have hosted our informational meeting to help us all understand more about the Montessori concept and to hopefully recruit the necessary teachers and funding to open the school in 2027. Thanks to very generous contributions of the Meek Foundation, we have secured a building and had a new roof put on.
We still have several parts of our America250 Mississippi/Mississippi Humanities Council grant to complete, including some oral history interviews, a time capsule, and an art contest being sponsored by Friends of the Library with categories for all ages to join in.
One part of that grant included a community Happy Birthday party which we hosted on Friday evening, July 3. It was simple and sweet and a fitting celebration for a small American town. We had watermelon with candles representing our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, fresh squeezed lemonade, cupcakes with a patriotic flair, and hand-held flags for everyone in attendance. We were welcomed by Chamber President Timothy Booker Sr. and Mayor Pro Temp Marzet Bland. Children ran and played, neighbors and friends visited. Chamber Youth Representative Leyah Windom, a rising junior in high school, spoke to us about what this occasion meant to her and what her dreams were for her generation’s future. Chamber Board Member Pastor Robert Reed did a moving prayer for our community and our country.
When DJ Bobby Murphree played the last song and folks folded up their chairs, volunteers began the work of moving tables and chairs back to the Chamber building. Three little boys, probably about eight-to-10-years-old, ran up to me as I was packing up the cupcakes. I assumed they wanted one more, but, no, they came over to help me with my work and see what else they could do to help. Those boys just melted my heart!
My son, Josh, and I walked the park to pick up left behind litter. Our work was short. I found three America 250 picks from the cupcakes, and he found one cup left in the children’s play area. Oakland folks are just the best!
If you’re looking for more reasons to celebrate in July, you can have a picnic on July 10, which is Teddy Bear Picnic Day. Since the Teddy Bear originated in Mississippi and is also our state stuffed animal, we should definitely participate in this one!
July 11 is All American Pet Photo Day and social media will be flooded with pet photos. I personally appreciate that July 14 is Cow Appreciation Day. I remember Little Bud York of Coffeeville telling me one day, as we discussed farming, that cows put me through college. I have never forgotten that. Growing up on a dairy farm surrounded by those big, beautiful creatures taught me many life lessons.
Finally, put Capture the Sunset Week, July 19-25, on your calendars! There are many more, but those are some of the ones I wanted to share with you.
My nearly on-year-old granddaughter got her first haircut this past weekend. Thanks to my niece Hillary Ross for performing the traditional first cut! My late Aunt Fae Priddy Ross did this for multiple generations of Ross children, including my first cut.
What a great surprise to open the July/August issue of Mississippi Magazine and find our own Marquitrice Mangham and her work on food deserts featured in a four-page spread! She is the founder of our Oakland Farmacy Marketplace community grocery store. As the founder of In Her Shoes, Inc., a nonprofit designed to help underserved communities, she is truly impacting this part of the state. Her first store was in her hometown of Webb and she is working on one in Mound Bayou.
She has created a mobile grocery store that services several Delta communities. Marquitrice has a military background as well as a career in urban planning, economic development, land use, and transportation. She has also worked as a legal clerk and attended law school. She has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show and Kansas State University has published a case study on her approach to bringing fresh food to food deserts. We are so fortunate to have her working with us in Oakland and the surrounding area. I am very proud to serve on the board of In Her Shoes, Inc.
Thankfully, the heat dome we have been experiencing seems to be lifting as I write this. Please stay hydrated and remember your pets need the same! I love the businesses that put out bowls of water for our furry friends. If you have bird baths, birds love fresh water and will entertain you for hours with their water fun. Here’s to a cooler next few weeks!
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.
Little Miss Huckleberry Aldy, who turns 1-year-old this month, celebrates her first Fourth of July in Oakland.
