Tag Archive for: Union County Heritage Museum

New Albany Faulkner month to study southern death customs

New Albany – Get your best black dress ready because we are going into mourning in New Albany, Mississippi.

Don’t cry yet, because it’s not a death but a study of death customs in the south, as well as that all time famous William Faulkner novel, As I Lay Dying.

September has been officially named Faulkner Month in New Albany, and a series of programs will feature the many interesting things about William Faulkner and about  dying and death in the south. Just like everything else, death has changed through the years.  Front rooms that were once “death rooms” became “living rooms” and so on.

Cemetaries repel us and draw us in at the same time. Join the Tallahatchie River Players as they bring back to life some of the area's "famous souls" via dialogues and scenes.

Cemetaries repel us and draw us in at the same time. Join the Tallahatchie River Players as they bring back to life some of the area’s “famous souls” via dialogues and scenes on September 19th.

The work of Faulkner looks at death in this book as well as others. And his work in general is mythical in its portrayal of the customs of the South.  So mythical, in fact, some of the Faulknernian myths have been debunked.

Terri Hutchins Cournoyer from Louisville, MS, talking about Victorian Mourning Jewelry – the gutta-percha brooch , jet, vulcanite, onyx, bog oak, and horn, and memorializing a loved ones. She will speak of the color black in jewelry, which symbolizes the cult of mourning.

On September 17th, Terri Hutchins Cournoyer from Louisville, MS,  will be talking about Victorian Mourning Jewelry – the gutta-percha brooch , jet, vulcanite, onyx, bog oak, and horn, and memorializing a loved ones. She will speak of the color black in jewelry, which symbolizes the cult of mourning.

The first program will feature Faulkner historian as well as archaeologist and author, Jack Elliott, who will dispute some of the widely held beliefs about Faulkner and his work.

August 20,  Thursday, 12 noon  – Museum Moments at the Union County Heritage Museum will feature Elliott   This event is free.  Lunch will be served at 11:30.  Limited seating. Historian, writer, archaeologist and researcher Jack Elliott will dispel some of the myths about William Faulkner the man and his work. Renasant Bank will provide lunch  11:30. Seating is limited.

September 25, Friday,  2 – 4:30 p.m: Unveiling: William Faulkner Scenic Byway signage on Highway 30 West.   Literary Tour guided by noted Faulkner historian Jack Elliott. Tour participants will be ferried through the Yoknapatawpha, while Jack Elliott offers interesting and little known facts about the writer’s time at Greenfield Farm (a stop on the tour), as well as his association with Philadelphia Community, Rocky Ford and points west. The tour will culminate with a reception at Rowan Oak.

Mark your calendars for the events of this Literary Festival and celebration of  New Albany’s native son and his work and make plans to attend.

August 25, Children’s  Poetry Picnic at the  Library.  Poet Patricia Neely-Dorsey will speak and the NAES gifted students will write a poem and have lunch.

 September 8, Poetry Workshop –Writer Will Day, will talk to and work with Gifted Students at the Union County Heritage Museum & Literary Garden and Gallery. Facilitated by former elementary gifted teacher Linda Everett, Sponsored by New Albany Rotary Club.

September 13, Faulkner and Folk Art Sunday 1:30- 3:30,  Exhibit at the Union County Heritage Museum.  The theme for the 2015 Exhibit is As I Lay Dying.   Artists are invited to participate. Juried show.

September 15, Tuesday, 12 noon: Cemeteries and Symbolisms. Program at the Jenny Stephens Smith Union County Library featuring Frank Madden presenting Customs of the South – Death and Dying.

September 17, Thursday,  12 noon: The Color Black and the Cult of Mourning –Museum Moments at the Union County Heritage Museum will feature Terri Hutchins Cournoyer from Louisville, MS, talking about Victorian Mourning Jewelry –  the gutta-percha brooch , jet, vulcanite, onyx, bog oak, and horn, and memorializing a loved ones. She will speak of the color black in jewelry, which symbolizes the cult of mourning.

September 19, Saturday, – Legends and Lore Cemetery  Walking Tour—4 p.m.—dusk. Tickets will be available at the office of UCDA on Bankhead and the Museum on Cleveland St. Characters are featured from the historic past, as well as famous souls of the area. Starring members of the Tallahatchie River Players, whose poses, dialogs and scenes will bring death back to life in an interesting and entertaining way. Admission $10.

September 25, Friday, 12 Noon:  (William Faulkner’s 118th birthday) William Faulkner Literary Luncheon will be at First United Methodist Church.  Guest speaker will be Preston Lauderbach, author of The Chitlin Circuit, Road to Rock and Roll and The Beale Street Dynasty. Literary Awards will be presented.  Tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance. Please call the Museum at 662-538-0014.

September 25, Friday,  2 – 4:30 p.m. Unveiling of the William Faulkner Scenic Byway signage – Hwy 30 Wast   and a Literary Tour  headed by noted Faulkner historian Jack Elliott,  who will have a running commentary while tour goers are being ferried through the Yoknapatawpha portion of the scenic byway and offering interesting and little known facts about the writer’s time at Greenfield Farm ( a stop in the tour) as well as his association with Philadelphia Community, Rocky Ford and points west, culminating in a reception at Rowan Oak.

September 26, 2 p.m. , Magnolia Civic Center, Tallahatchie River Players present the RiverFest Showing of the winners of last year’s William Faulkner Literary Competition ,  Rhubarb by Deanna Graves of Seminary, MS, and a stage reading of  the second place winner Cybereyes by Amy Coumo of Villa Rica, GA.Faulkner mo logo

For quick reference, these events have all been entered in the NAnewsweb Community Calendar.

For more information any of the above events, call the Union County Heritage Museum at 662-538-0014.

Jill N. Smith

Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

/by

Holley Muraco, animal trainer/researcher featured at Museum Moments

,

Museum Moments on July 23, 12 noon at the Union County Heritage Museum will feature animal trainer and researcher Holley Muraco who has dedicated her life to animals and has worked with them in many capacities including zookeeper, animal trainer, stage performer, veterinary services, TV personality and researcher.

Close “friends” with killer whales, dolphins, walrus, seals, elephants, gorillas and more, Holley, has recently completed  her PhD in reproductive physiology this year from Mississippi State University and plans to use her degree to save endangered species.  Her International research travels have included: Holland, Sweden, Italy, Bermuda, Cuba, Canada, China and Mexico Italy, in her work with many kinds of animals.

Holley Muraco with wild walrus

Holley Muraco with wild walrus

Daughter of Mitch and Jeanette Stone; granddaughter of the late T.M. (Coach) Stone and Annie Ruth Stone; and of Mr. and Mrs. H.U. Gurley, she graduated from Potts Camp High School, attended Northwest Mississippi Community College and received her B.S. in Biology from Mississippi State University. Holley initially studied dairy science at MSU, where she learned about breeding and assisted reproductive technologies known as “ART”. As a Dairy Science/Pre-veterinary medicine student, she an internship at Walt Disney World working with dolphins, sharks and fish.

After that experience, she changed her degree to biology and after graduating worked at several places to gain hands-on experience with exotic animals. She first worked as a dolphin and sea lion trainer at the now closed Marinelife Oceanariaum in Gulfport, MS before moving to Orlando, Florida where she worked as a shark and fish biologist at Disney’s The Living Seas at EPCOT. While living in Orlando, she also worked at Sea World with beluga whales, walrus, polar bears, harbor seals and dolphins and then at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with African elephants and lowland gorillas.

Holley Muraco and Sivaquq in Documentary Film

Holley Muraco and Sivaquq in Documentary Film

After several years of gaining first-hand knowledge of how to care for and train zoological animals, she turned her attention towards research; and she was accepted into the PhD program in the Animal and Dairy Science department at Mississippi State University.

Over the years, Holley has published numerous papers from her research, traveled the world and spoken at countless conferences. She was the first person to have a successful dolphin artificial insemination in Europe and the first to use “ART” to achieve a walrus pregnancy in the US. She also starred in a BBC documentary about her walrus research entitled Walrus: Two Tonne Tusker. The film took two years to make and included travel to remote regions of Alaska to study wild Pacific walrus and interview Inuit and Yupik indigenous people. Holley has published peer-reviewed research papers on spotted eagle rays, killer whales, dolphins and walrus.

Museum Moments is a regular program at the museum and is free thanks to the Community Partners.  For more information call the museum at 662-538-0014 or emailjill@ucheritagemuseum.com

 

 

30

 

 

Jill N. Smith

Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

 

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about,

and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.”

William Faulkner

/by

Union County Heritage Museum expansion underway

New Albany, MS – About 50 people participated in a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday morning, July 2, for a major new addition to the Union County Heritage Museum. The event marks a major milestone for the project, which was first announced by the Union County Heritage Society in April 2011.

The new structure of about 6,000 square feet will house a library, new exhibit galleries, a new meeting room, collection storage space, office space and restrooms. When the addition is complete the museum will have about 10,000 square feet of climate controlled space.

A major feature of the new museum space will be a library to house a large collection of books by and about Nobel Prize recipient William Faulkner, who was born in 1897 in a house within a few hundred feet of the museum location. Said to be among the largest collections of Faulkner-related books and other materials ever assembled, the collection was donated to the museum by New Albany resident Murray Coffey, who was present for the ground-breaking event.

The William Faulkner Library portion of the new museum space will open onto the Faulkner Literary Garden, which has been developed over a number of years and which is devoted to plants indigenous to north Mississippi.

Among other features of the new museum structure will be dedicated exhibited space for about 30 wildlife mounts from the African and North American hunting and fishing expeditions of the late Chico Foote. The museum has owned the Foote collection for a number of years but has not previously had adequate space to exhibit much of it properly.

The new museum meeting room will provide seating for about 100 people.

The addition is expected to cost $1.1-million. A state bond issue approved by the state legislature during its recent session will provide $500,000, nearly half the funding needed for the project. The rest of the money currently in hand for the museum expansion has come from grants and private donations. Union County Heritage Society President Vance Witt said Thursday morning that about $100,000 in additional donations are needed to complete fund-raising for the project.

Vance Witt, President of the Union County Heritage Society, and Museum Director Jill Smith.

Vance Witt, President of the Union County Heritage Society, and Museum Director Jill Smith.

The construction contract has been awarded to Ganger Property Management of New Albany, and construction is expected to start immediately.

The Union County Heritage Museum was founded in 1991. Most of the current museum space was first occupied in 2000, the same year the board hired Jill Smith, who is still the director of the institution. Smith has overseen significant additions to the museum’s collections during her 15-year tenure, and widespread community involvement with the museum has been developed through programs she has initiated.

The museum has about 5,000 visitors each year at its Cleveland Street location in New Albany and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2016.

Betsey Hamilton, a highly active member of the Union County Heritage Society board' is interviewed by WTVA

Betsey Hamilton, a highly active member of the Union County Heritage Society board, is interviewed by WTVA

 

 

/by

Mississippi Magazine’s “Best of Mississippi” lauds New Albany

Mississippi Magazine, in its “2015 Best of Mississippi” awards, gives notice to New Albany and several New Albany businesses in 13 of its categories. Among business cited as first or second place in a “best” are George’s Restaurant, #2 fried chicken; AC’s Coffee, # 2 coffee; Van Atkins, #1 fine jewelry and the Biscuits and Jam Farmers’ Market, #2 market.

Tanglefoot trail, Park-Along-the-River, the Heritage Museum and New Albany’s Downtown area all received recognition in the article. In addition, many local businesses were listed in the top five rankings in several statewide categories.

All in all, a pretty nice showing for our little town.

Check out Mississippi Magazine’s article here to see all the details.

 

/by

Union County Heritage Museum to have expansion groundbreaking

,

Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the expansion of the Union County Heritage Museum will be Thursday, July 2, 10 a.m. at the construction site behind the museum.  The public is invited to join this moment followed by lemonade and cookies.   The museum is located at 114 Cleveland Street in New Albany.

Please join us if possible.

 

 

Jill N. Smith

Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

 

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about,

and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.”

William Faulkner

/by

Museum Madness goes “Full STEAM Ahead!” this summer

,

Museum Madness is headed Full STEAM Ahead, for the 2015 summer discovery activity program for children. This year’s activities are focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics.

Dates for this year week of activities will be July 13 – July 17, 9 a.m. –12 noon.   Application are being taken now.

“We are excited about this year’s activities, “said Jill Smith, Museum Director.  “We are emphasizing the sciences and hopefully opening  science and engineering doors for their minds to enter. We’ve got a great line-up of instructors, and New Albany Junior Auxiliary will be partnering again with us this year. “

The five days of discovery for children ages  – incoming second graders to incoming fifth graders include:

  • 1 . Grossology – Rheta Ann West
  • 2. Math & Art –Can you Tessellate? Rebecca Browning
  • 3  Microscopes and Things Cellular – It’s a Small World- Rebecca Browning   
  • 4. Animals & The World of Taxidermy – Abra Floyd
  • 5. Bugs and Butterflies Tim Needam & Rebecca Browning

 

Cost for the week is $50 for children or grandchildren of the Union County Historical Society members and $65 for those who are not.    That is $10 and $13 per day respectively.   “We hope this would be a good incentive for those who are not members to become members of the society, Smith said.

Most of the activities of the week will take place in the Art House, which is located on Cleveland Street behind the museum.  Fee is required when you register your children.  You can come to the museum at 114 Cleveland Street or get more information by calling 662-538-0014 or email jill@ucheritagemuseum.com.

 

-30-

 

 

Jill N. Smith

Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

 

“I discovered that my own little postage stamp of native soil was worth writing about,

and that I would never live long enough to exhaust it.”

William Faulkner

/by

Hello again, ‘Clerance’ old friend.

         Some things just work out so that everyone gets a piece of what they want. In politics, it’s called compromise; in city management it’s often called historic preservation and/or repurposing. In both cases, it arises from a commitment to doing what is best for the community being served.
        On May 6th, 2015, just a few days ago, the city of New Albany paid Paul Smithey Construction Company to take down the old railroad overpass bridge over downtown’s Main Street. The old bridge is believed to have been built on-site in the late 1800s when new owners converted the Ship Island, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad to standard 4 ft. 8-1/2 in. “standard gauge.

Old railroad overpass bridge on its last day in its former location.

        According to  Mayor Tim Kent, the old bridge has been stored at a city street department facility since its removal on May 6th.  According to our research, the railroad bridge’s 63,000 pounds (31.5 tons) of milled steel could bring about $3,500 into the city coffers, at May 2015 market prices for mixed ferrous scrap metal.

        The bridge’s removal was accomplished in order to make way for a new 120 foot span that would carry Tanglefoot Trail traffic over Main Street while providing ample clearance for large trucks traveling on Main. The old bridge’s previous “low clerance” resulted in a great deal of trouble for the city, local drivers, local businesses and the trucking company involved whenever the bridge was struck. This typically happened a couple of times per year.

Famously misspelled "low clerance" bridge awaits new home.

Famously misspelled “low clerance” bridge awaits new home.

        Never the less, there have been some who thought that, because of the “historical importance” of the railroad to New Albany, there could have been other solutions to the problem: raising the bridge, changing the approaches, re-routing large trucks around the bridge, etc.
        Enter Jill Smith, Union County Heritage Museum Director. She says that because of New Albany’s long history as a “railroad town,” many visitors make the town a destination to see the trains go by. At her suggestion, old “Clerance” will be placed on a museum-owned lot at the intersection of Highland Street and Jefferson Avenue, immediately north of the BNSF tracks, to become an observation platform facing the busy tracks.  Locals and visitors will have a unique venue from which to observe the trains “up close and personal.”
        A “win, win” situation, in our opinion. Main Street traffic runs unimpeded, Tanglefoot Trail has a good-looking new bridge, “Clerance” is repurposed in a thoughtful manner that pays homage to his historic role.  Please, just don’t paint over his name!
/by

MS Bluegrass Championship in New Albany this weekend

For more than a decade, bluegrass musicians and fans from around the southeast have been coming to New Albany to play traditional music and to compete for more than $8,000 in prizes at the Mississippi Bluegrass Championships. Also known as “Down from the Hills,” the event was sanctioned by the Mississippi   Legislature in 2010 as the official Bluegrass Championship for the state.

The event will be held in downtown New Albany at the Park Along the River on West Main Street.  This is a change of venue from past years when the even was held at the Union County Fairgrounds.  Construction at the fairgrounds and the addition of a Farm to Table Dinner over the Tallahatchie River brought about this change.  Competition on Saturday will begin at 10 a.m.

2014 winners of youth fiddle competition

2014 winners of youth fiddle competition

National banjo champion Weston Stewart with MS trophies.

National banjo champion Weston Stewart with MS trophies.

Competitions in mandolin, dobro, guitar, banjo , fiddle and bluegrass band will be held in youth, apprentice and adult.  Admission is $5, adults and children under 12 free,  and attendee’s admission will get the competitor into one competition.

Johnny Bellar, dobro

Johnny Bellar, dobro

2014 Guitar winners

2014 Guitar winners

 

Friday night’s schedule will include Oxford’s Chef John Stokes’ cuisine of Grilled Quail stuffed with Delta Grind Grits, Baby Vidalia, and Marjoram, a salad of Union County Tomatoes and much more as a part of the locally grown food that is part of the nation wide Farm to Table movement to bring people closer to the local sources of food.  Sean Watkins of Nickle Creek will offer a free concert after the dinner.

Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek

Sean Watkins of Nickle Creek

Oxford chef John Stokes, an advocate of locally sourced foods.

Oxford chef John Stokes, an advocate of locally sourced foods.

“Preservation of the culture and music of our region is part of the mission of the museum.  We want to showcase the talent and dedication of the youth and adults who make this music and keep the traditions alive,” said Jill Smith, director of the Union County Heritage Museum.

The event has had strong and steady attendance throughout the years, and organizers believe that the event can be larger. For the 2015 event, the Union County Heritage museum has teamed up with the city’s tourism department, the Master Gardeners Biscuits and Jam Farmers Market, and  the Folk Art Market to expand the festival into a two day event to be held at Park Along the River in downtown.

Saturday, the festival will begin early with the opening of the award-winning Biscuits & Jam Farmers market. Throughout the day bluegrass musicians from around the South will be competing for more than $8,000 in prizes on the main stage, while impromptu jam sessions occur throughout the shaded park. In the evening, attendees will be treated to concerts by the Cakewalkers and Eisenhauer Band.

The Cake Walkers

The Cake Walkers

The populaar Eisenhaur Band will return to New Albany for the Bluegrass Festival.

The populaar Eisenhaur Band will return to New Albany for the Bluegrass Festival.

 

 

As well as music, there will be an arts and crafts market, a variety of great food (including BBQ and shrimp boil), and things for the kids including pony rides and a petting zoo.

Organizers hope that the event’s proximity to downtown and its unique shops and restaurants will add another element to the festival.

“The festival, shopping and restaurants, and the Tanglefoot Trail are all within walking distance of one another, and we’re hoping that people will come and enjoy a full day in New Albany,” says New Albany tourism director, Sean Johnson.

For more information about the festival, visit www.mississippibluegrass.com or call 662-534-1047. The event is $5.00 to attend or compete in the bluegrass competition. Free parking is available.

Scenes from the 2014 bluegrass competition.     For more about Banjo Champion Weston Stewart:

band competition

band competition

A youth fiddler

A youth fiddler

festival in a shed

 

man and girl w award

 

Jill N. Smith, Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

/by

Museum Moments to feature Chef John Stokes

,

Museum Moments on Thursday, May 21, will feature John Stokes, chef from Oxford , who is also will cook the Farm to Table dinner on Friday night at the music  festival kick off Farm to Table dinner.

Stokes, an Oxford native, has spent the last twenty years cooking professionally in a variety of settings. He calls his style “old world cooking” with respect for quality ingredients, as well as the new southern style with its charm. He believes that the best way to get to know someone is to break bread with them.

He will talk about the larger Farm to Table movement and the importance of locally sourced food.  Museum Moments will begin at noon on Thursday at the museum at 114 Cleveland Street in New Albany.  It is open to the public.  Friends of the Library will host a light lunch beginning at 11:30.  For more information call the museum at 662-538-0014.

 

Jill N. Smith

Director

Union County Heritage Museum

114 Cleveland Street

New Albany, Mississippi 38652

662-538-0014

www.ucheritagemuseum.com

 

/by

Farm to Table Dinner to premier in New Albany

Tickets are going fast for the Farm to Table Dinner to be served Friday, May 22. The dinner is a new feature of the annual Down from the Hills Festival sponsored by the Union County Heritage, and also coincides with this season’s opening of Biscuits and Jam Farmers Market.

The last decade has seen a growing awareness around the country of the nutritional and environmental benefits of consuming food grown locally. Its advocates cite the improved freshness of locally grown produce and its role in assuring a sustainable food supply for the county.

New Albany dinner to feature locally grown foods

Mary Jennifer Russell, the owner/operator of Sugaree’s in downtown New Albany, has been in the vanguard of efforts to make more locally grown food available in New Albany. She has been the prime mover in organizing and operating the weekly Biscuits and Jam Farmers Market held every Saturday morning, starting this year on May 23rd. This year’s Farm to Table Dinner is an outgrowth of her support for this aspect of community life.

“The farm to table dinner planned in conjunction with the Down from the Hills Bluegrass Festival and this season’s first Biscuits & Jam Farmers Market is a great way to showcase our region’s abundant produce,” said Russell. “I expect this event to draw a lot of local interest and become a staple event for our town.”

The meal will be prepared by Chef John Stokes of Water Valley, who was the head chef at Oxford’s L&M Kitchen and Salumeria. L&M’s was a pioneering farm to table restaurant specializing in house-cured meats and Mississippi sourced ingredients. It was there that Stokes began earning his now considerable reputation for creating gourmet meals from locally grown food.

Chef Stokes has announced the menu for the Farm to Table Dinner which features grilled quail stuffed with Delta Grind grits, baby Vidalia onions, and marjoram. Salads will include one made with Union County grown tomatoes, salt cured red onion, basil and sorrel. Crispy hog jowl potato salad will also be served, as will succotash made of butter beans and boiled peanuts.

Dessert will be provided by Sugaree’s. Local restaurant and area caterer Tallahatchie Gourmet is assisting with the production of the event.

Wine will be served with the meal. The New Albany Board of Aldermen approved a special authorization for wine to be served on city property at its regular May meeting earlier this week.

Weather permitting, the dinner will be served on the foot bridge that spans the Tallahatchie River in the Park Along the River. The space will be decorated by Emily Foreman of MODA designs and the lighting will be provided by local artist, Micha Foster.

Weather permitting, the Farm-to-Table dinner will be served on the footbridge in New Albany's Park Along the RIver.

Weather permitting, the Farm to Table dinner will be served on the footbridge in New Albany’s Park Along the River.

Down From the Hills Bluegrass Festival showcases local talent

Proceeds from the sale of tickets for the Farm to Table Dinner will be applied to the cost of producing the Down from the Hills Festival, presented this year on May 22nd and May 23rd. The festival will spotlight music, food and art of the north Mississippi hill country.

The Down from the Hills Festival has been held here for over ten years, and was sanctioned five years ago by the Mississippi Legislature as the official bluegrass music championship for the state. More than $8,000 in prize money will be awarded to musicians who travel from Mississippi and other states to perform.

“Preservation of the culture and music of our region is part of the mission of the Union County Heritage Museum. We want to showcase the talent and dedication of the youth and adults who make this music and keep the traditions alive,” said Jill Smith, the museum’s director.

The Farm to Table dinner is open to the first 100 ticket holders. About 75 tickets have already been sold, and tickets are still available for $50 each at the New Albany Tourism Office located in the UCDA/Old Post Office across from the courthouse. For more information, call 662-534-1047 or visit the event’s website at www.mississippibluegrass.com.

/by

People in the Spotlight

Paulette Cossitt, Susan Feather and Gloria Cooper were photographed Thursday, March 19, at the Union County Heritage Museum on Cleveland St. They were there for a meeting of the New Albany Garden Club. Besides its own busy schedule of programs, The Union County Heritage Museum is the venue for many other local civic meetings

Paulette Cossitt, Susan Feather and Gloria Cooper were photographed Thursday, March 19, at the Union County Heritage Museum on Cleveland St. They were there for a meeting of the New Albany Garden Club. Besides its own busy schedule of programs, The Union County Heritage Museum is the venue for many other local civic meetings

Brad Clayton was recently elected to serve as President of the New Albany School Board for the next year. Mr. Clayton has served on the School Board since 2013. Pictured (right) is Jerry Tate, Past President, passing the gavel to Mr. Clayton.

Brad Clayton was recently elected to serve as President of the New Albany School Board for the next year. Mr. Clayton has served on the School Board since 2013. Pictured (right) is Jerry Tate, Past President, passing the gavel to Mr. Clayton.

The New Albany School Board honored Bobby Gault (pictured left) at the March 2nd School Board Meeting.

The New Albany School Board honored Bobby Gault (pictured left) at the March 2nd School Board Meeting.

Posted 4-2015

Not so long ago senior pictures amounted to parading through a line in the school gymnasium, at the end of which a photographer took a few shots, all posed with the same background, lighting and costume. In effect, the photographer, chosen by the school, took the same picture over and over again with only the subject changing. Parents got a little menu from which they picked from a narrow variety of packages: "22 wallet size, 2 8x10s, 4 5x7s, $104" etc. "Pick your photo from the five proofs provided, check the order form box, put your check in the envelope and return it all to home room by Friday." All that has changed. Tuesday afternoon, April 7, Holly Springs senior Maura Jane Autry, her mother and a friend met Kate Roberts, a professional photographer from Baldwyn, on the banks of the Tallahatchie River in New Albany. Roberts shot dozens of pictures of Maura Jane with a high-end digital camera, with natural back lighting from the late afternoon sun shining through the trees lining the river bank. And that was just one set shot in New Albany. Other sets are shot other places. Not so much senior pictures as a senior portfolio.

Not so long ago senior pictures amounted to parading through a line in the school gymnasium, at the end of which a photographer took a few shots, all posed with the same background, lighting and costume. In effect, the photographer, chosen by the school, took the same picture over and over again with only the subject changing. Parents got a little menu from which they picked from a narrow variety of packages: “22 wallet size, 2 8x10s, 4 5x7s, $104” etc. “Pick your photo from the five proofs provided, check the order form box, put your check in the envelope and return it all to home room by Friday.” All that has changed. Tuesday afternoon, April 7, Holly Springs senior Maura Jane Autry, her mother and a friend met Kate Roberts, a professional photographer from Baldwyn, on the banks of the Tallahatchie River in New Albany. Roberts shot dozens of pictures of Maura Jane with a high-end digital camera, with natural back lighting from the late afternoon sun shining through the trees lining the river bank. And that was just one set shot in New Albany. Other sets are shot other places. Not so much senior pictures as a senior portfolio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POSTED 5/2015

The New Albany School Board presented Melanie Anderson with a Certificate of Appreciation at the monthly school board meeting held on Monday, May 4. The certificate and recognition was in honor of School District Administrative Assistant Board Clerk Appreciation Week that was celebrated in April. Anderson serves as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent for the New Albany School District.


The New Albany School Board presented Melanie Anderson with a Certificate of Appreciation at the monthly school board meeting held on Monday, May 4. The certificate and recognition was in honor of School District Administrative Assistant Board Clerk Appreciation Week that was celebrated in April. Anderson serves as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent for the New Albany School District.

A committee working on New Albany's annual Down From The Hills Bluegrass Festival met Thursday afternoon, May 14, at the UCDA office in the old post office on Bankhead Street. Shown clockwise around the table are Betty King, Cathy Garrett, Phil Nanney, Mary Jennifer Russell, Sean Johnson, Susan Hickman and Hudson Hickman. Jill Smith, the director of the Union County Heritage Museum, which produces the festival, is not pictured but was present throughout the meeting. The 2015 Down from the Hills Bluegrass Festival will be next weekend, Friday and Saturday, May 22 and 23.

A committee working on New Albany’s annual Down From The Hills Bluegrass Festival met Thursday afternoon, May 14, at the UCDA office in the old post office on Bankhead Street. Shown clockwise around the table are Betty King, Cathy Garrett, Phil Nanney, Mary Jennifer Russell, Sean Johnson, Susan Hickman and Hudson Hickman. Jill Smith, the director of the Union County Heritage Museum, which produces the festival, is not pictured but was present throughout the meeting. The 2015 Down from the Hills Bluegrass Festival will be next weekend, Friday and Saturday, May 22 and 23.

 

 

 

(left to right) Jill Smith, Micha Foster, Susan Hickman and Chef John Stokes meeting to discuss plans for New Albany's premier Farm-to-Table dinner on May 22.

(left to right) Jill Smith, Micha Foster, Susan Hickman and Chef John Stokes meeting to discuss plans for New Albany’s premier Farm-to-Table dinner on May 22.

With mild weather work was progressing Monday on the site of the new Tanglefoot Trail bridge across Main Street in Downtown New Albany. Shown above with landscape architect Sam Creekmore, Jr. (left) are Richard Turner and Sonny "Sundance" Snider.

With mild weather work was progressing Monday on the site of the new Tanglefoot Trail bridge across Main Street in Downtown New Albany. Shown above with landscape architect Sam Creekmore, Jr. (left) are Richard Turner and Sonny “Sundance” Snider.

The Youth Choir of New Albany's First United Methodist Church performed outdoors in the church's Harwell Garden the evening of Sunday, May 3, 2015.

The Youth Choir of New Albany’s First United Methodist Church performed outdoors in the church’s Harwell Garden the evening of Sunday, May 3, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Wilson, of New Albany, with Jeannie C. Riley, of Harper "Valley P.T.A." fame. The picture was taken here in New Albany..well, according to Joe, "Way Back When!" If you have a photo to share in the Spotlight, email it to news@nanewsweb.com.

Joe Wilson, of New Albany, with Jeannie C. Riley, of Harper “Valley P.T.A.” fame. The picture was taken here in New Albany..well, according to Joe, “Way Back When!” If you have a photo to share in the Spotlight, email it to news@nanewsweb.com.

 

Kevin Hinton of Bankhead Flower Shop spoke to New Albany's Historic Northside District Garden Club's May 28th meeting, which was held at the home of Sandy Shaddinger. Hinton gave club members some hints about making flower arrangements from the flowers grown in their own gardens.

Kevin Hinton of Bankhead Flower Shop spoke to New Albany’s Historic Northside District Garden Club’s May 28th meeting, which was held at the home of Sandy Shaddinger. Hinton gave club members some hints about making flower arrangements from the flowers grown in their own gardens.

 

Posted 6-2015

Jim Faust, Angie Faust Staten and Mike Staten enjoyed the music Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Live @ Noon on Tanglefoot Plaza in New Albany.

Jim Faust, Angie Faust Staten and Mike Staten enjoyed the music Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Live @ Noon on Tanglefoot Plaza in New Albany.

 

 

 

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney spoke Monday night, June 22, to the Union County Republican Women's Club. Chaney, a Republican, is seeking his third four-year term as the state's insurance commissioner. He is opposed in the August Republican primary by John Mosely . The winner in that race will presumably face Johnny McLeod, who is unopposed for the Reform Party nomination. Campaign finance reports filed in early May showed Chaney with $338,089.43 in campaign funds on hand. Mosely had $20,674.60 and McLeod reported he had no campaign money

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney spoke Monday night, June 22, to the Union County Republican Women’s Club. Chaney, a Republican, is seeking his third four-year term as the state’s insurance commissioner. He is opposed in the August Republican primary by John Mosely . The winner in that race will presumably face Johnny McLeod, who is unopposed for the Reform Party nomination. Campaign finance reports filed in early May showed Chaney with $338,089.43 in campaign funds on hand. Mosely had $20,674.60 and McLeod reported he had no campaign money

 

Posted 8-2015

New Albany Symphony League members, left to right, Sandy Shaddinger, Joyce Sumners, Joanne Lesley, Collett Cross, Celia House, and Jean Ashcraft, met July 29th to discuss plans for the upcoming season.

New Albany Symphony League members, left to right, Sandy Shaddinger, Joyce Sumners, Joanne Lesley, Collett Cross, Celia House, and Jean Ashcraft, met July 29th to discuss plans for the upcoming season.

If the Chinese proverb, "A smile will gain you ten more years of life" is accurate, these two have earned those years. Jean Ashcraft, of New Albany, visits with Joe "Sonny" Giachelli, of the Pinedale community, at New Albany Health & Rehab Center. Sonny is there to receive medical therapy to supplement his smile benefits.

If the Chinese proverb, “A smile will gain you ten more years of life” is accurate, these two have earned those years. Jean Ashcraft, of New Albany, visits with Joe “Sonny” Giachelli, of the Pinedale community, at New Albany Health & Rehab Center. Sonny is there to receive medical therapy to supplement his smile benefits.

 

Long-time friends Joyce Sumners and Mose Stokes catch up with each other, sharing a laugh over possibly varying opinions of who was the smarter in high school.

Long-time friends Joyce Sumners and Mose Stokes catch up with each other, sharing a laugh over possibly varying opinions of who was the smarter in high school.

Everyone has a job. Mom does the hair; dad babysits; daughter ties it all together with a "cuteness" bow. Stylist/Nail Technician Annie Kent keeps it "all in the family" for her husband Ben and daughter Lucy at the Rodéo Salon on Bankhead St. in downtown New Albany.

Everyone has a job. Mom does the hair; dad babysits; daughter ties it all together with a “cuteness” bow. Stylist/Nail Technician Annie Kent keeps it “all in the family” for her husband Ben and daughter Lucy at the Rodéo Salon on Bankhead St. in downtown New Albany.

 

Posted September 2015

Picturesque New Albany provided the backgrounds Tuesday, Sept. 1, for promotional photographs shot for Wooden Groove, a Mississippi-based acoustic string band. Double bassist Taylor Meador of Oxford, guitarist Adam Hollowell of Tupelo and mandolinist Seth Vincent Flake posed in front of a 60-year-old railroad engine in downtown New Albany. Engine number 800 was built by the old General Motors Electro-Motive division, probably at its London, Ontario, Canada plant, in the early 1950s. Number 800, a four-axle GP8 diesel-electric locomotive was rebuilt at the Illinois Central Railroad's Paducah, Kentucky shops in the late 1970s. Number 800 is still an active railyard engine and belongs to the Ripley and New Albany Railroad, the successor after many ownership changes, of Colonel William Clark Falkner's Ripley Railroad, founded in 1871.

Picturesque New Albany provided the backgrounds Tuesday, Sept. 1, for promotional photographs shot for Wooden Groove, a Mississippi-based acoustic string band.
Double bassist Taylor Meador of Oxford, guitarist Adam Hollowell of Tupelo and mandolinist Seth Vincent Flake posed in front of a 60-year-old railroad engine in downtown New Albany.
Engine number 800 was built by the old General Motors Electro-Motive division, probably at its London, Ontario, Canada plant, in the early 1950s. Number 800, a four-axle GP8 diesel-electric locomotive was rebuilt at the Illinois Central Railroad’s Paducah, Kentucky shops in the late 1970s.
Number 800 is still an active railyard engine and belongs to the Ripley and New Albany Railroad, the successor after many ownership changes, of Colonel William Clark Falkner’s Ripley Railroad, founded in 1871.

 

 

Harold Gregory, shown at 7 pm, Saturday, Sept. 5th, in front of his daughter's home on East Bankhead Street is about to move to Blue Springs from Douglas County, Georgia, at the western side of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Gregory is originally from Mattoon. lllinois, where he managed a graphics business. His alert white protector is called "Bama."

Harold Gregory, shown at 7 pm, Saturday, Sept. 5th, in front of his daughter’s home on East Bankhead Street is about to move to Blue Springs from Douglas County, Georgia, at the western side of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Gregory is originally from Mattoon. lllinois, where he managed a graphics business. His alert white protector is called “Bama.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

/by