Ellington

September 23, 2004

YOU GO, GIRL: In celebration of the 1st year of the Jackson's Women Fund, Jacksonians are invited to the first meeting on Sept. 28 at 5p.m. This year, the funding foundation has been busy working to support five organizations in the metro area. Money was given to the Catholic Charities' Legal Assistance Clinic, Family Support Centers of Metro Jackson, Girl Scout Council of Middle Mississippi, the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual assault and the Mississippi Museum of Art. Duane Gordon, communications and program officer for the foundation, said that this event is meant to educate women about the role they can play in philanthropy as well as to celebrate the accomplishments of the year. The event will feature Gayle Rose, co-founder of the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis. Reservations can be made with Nelda Moore at (601) 974-6044 by Sept. 24.

SCORE ONE (OR TWO) FOR EDUCATION: Bill McCoy, speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, announced that he has appointed William H. Jones of Petal to the State Board of Education. Starting in fall of 1979 Jones served for 13 years in House of representatives. He was also the vice chairman of the House Colleges and Universities committee. McCoy said,"Bill (Jones) has proven himself over the years as a strong supporter of education." For 15 years Jones also was the School Board attorney for the Petal School District.

SCIENCE MENTORS: Nissan gave the Mississippi School of Mathematics and Science (MSMS) $25,000 to continue to fund summer research internships for students at major universities around the state. This includes a $15,000 gift to the school and a $10,000 grant approved by the Nissan Foundation. MSMS Executive Director Carol Alderman said that Nissan is not only donating financial support to the school, but representatives with the Canton company have made visits to the student research presentations made on the campus.

LOUISIANA VOTERS SLACKING? Louisiana may have elected a female democratic governor last year, but the Southern state isn’t getting too liberal, yet. The state voted last week, 4-1, to enact a marriage protection amendment to the state constitution that not only prohibits gay unions, but also dissolves any common law marriage unions already in tact. Only 25 percent of the state actually voted, which could be partially thanks to apathy, partially thanks to faulty voting procedures. Over 90 precincts did not open on time. Some in New Orleans opened over six hours late. Gay activists announced plans to base a federal lawsuit on a previous U.S. Supreme Court decision that threw out a similar Colorado constitutional amendment aimed at prohibiting gay domestic partnership and anti-discrimination ordinances passed by three cities.

WHAT ABOUT MISSISSIPPI VOTERS? Voters here will have a similar anti-gay marriage/civil union ballot measure in November—and should have a better turnout than Louisiana’s amendment vote, officials say. A supposed 85 percent of the legal voting age citizens in Mississippi are registered to vote, but Secretary of State Eric Clark insists these numbers are incorrect due to outdated voter rolls.

A ROAD IN PROGRESS: The Jackson City Council recently accepted a bid more than $6.2 million to get construction of Phase II of the Jackson Metro Parkway underway. This new phase for the Parkway will pick up where Phase 1 left off, running from Wiggins to Dalton Street, continuing to Gallatin Street and will bridge downtown, Jackson State University and West Jackson. It will include sidewalks, walking/biking trails and lighting, just as the first phase did. The goal is to have Phase II completed within fifteen months, and construction is scheduled to begin in approximately a month.

NATCHEZ TRACE HONORED: “Park of the Week” sounds pretty good to Rep. Chip Pickering, R-3rd District, especially when it refers to the Natchez Trace Parkway. In a Sept. 20 press statement, Pickering enthused over the announcement by the U. S. National Park Service honoring the Trace from Sept. 20-26. The 444-mile long National Scenic Byway and All-American Road, two other designations it has earned, becomes the first parkway in the Southeast and the second one nationwide to be so honored. Natchez Trace Parkway Superintendent Wendell A. Simpson also announced that in May 2005 the Park Service and officials in Clinton and Natchez will co-host ceremonies in honor of the completion of the Parkway, which has been under construction since 1937.

HANDS OFF OUR BOOKS: Observed since 1982, the annual Banned Book week in September reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Nationwide, libraries and bookstores will celebrate our freedom to read beginning Sept. 25 with displays and readings of books that have been banned or threatened with being banned, from the Bible to "Little Red Riding Hood" to "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou and John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." These results come from over 6,364 challenges recorded by the office as initiated by a diverse group that includes elected officials, religious organizations, pressure groups, patrons, teachers, parents and clergy, among others.

THINK GLOBAL, VIEW LOCAL: The last 30-minute TV version of "Conversations With C.A. Webb" will air Sunday, Oct. 24. The guest for the show will be hip-hop artist Suede 1. The program will be ending to make room for a plan Shadow Play Entertainment has for January of 2005. Plans are underway to bring to Jackson and the whole state a one-hour television talk show devoted entirely to the Arts. The show will be taped in front of a live studio audience, and the radio version of Conversations with C.A. Webb will continue in the same format. Taping for the show will begin in November, and there will be free tickets available for each show.