Maura Johnson
Throughout her childhood, Maura Johnson met her family around the dinner table to not only share a meal together but to talk about specific historical facts. They always read the news and newly released biographies and spoke of the importance of being familiar with history.
Why do people move to/stay in Jackson?
OK, I promised. Here is the next user-generated list in our quest to educate ourselves about why people leave/stay. Please add your reasons (or reasons you've heard people give whether you agree with them or not) to the list below and pass it around. (Remember to add reasons to this one, too: Why do people leave Jackson?
Navy to Name Ship After Jackson
A future Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship will honor the city of Jackson, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Friday.
7th Annual JFP Chick Ball July 9, 2011—Save the Date!
The JFP Chick Ball committee is busy collecting sponsors and silent-auction donations, as well as reaching out for more volunteers and committee members. (This year, we're starting a "rooster" support committee of men who want to officially help out. The 7th Annual JFP Chick Ball will be at Hal & Mal's on July 9 and will this year raise money to help fight domestic abuse in surrounding rural counties. Sponsorships start for as little as $50 (which gets you into the VIP Chick-A-BOOM reception), and we even need donations of "chick" decor so be sure to hit those after-Easter clearance sales to help fight domestic abuse. All checks should be made out to the Center for Violence Prevention, which is the direct recipient of all Chick Ball proceeds. Follow us on Twitter @jfpchickball and find us on Facebook. Please tell your friends. The JFP Chick Ball is for age 18 and up, and only costs $5 at the door. Watch for more details! And, remember, we need your help RIGHT NOW. Please join us in this important effort.
Parade Weekend Schedule
Bawdy, loud, and down-right crazy. Zippity-Doo-Dah's annual parade might leave you breathless, but don't worry. The JFP's gotcha covered of when and where what's gonna happen.
Giving credit where it's due
I've been quite critical of some posts on the Downtown Jackson Partners blog in recent days as in-depth discussions about why people stay/leave Jackson have unfolded on our website. But I have to give DJP credit today (even as I wish they'd clean up the use of quotations and italics over there, but I digress). I just looked at the blog and see that there is all sorts of relevant, interesting content, rather than the usual mix of posts about Two Lakes and other "bodacious" (expensive) projects and events listings (nothing wrong with those, of course). There is great news about the state renting space downtown and extension info on urban spaces and interesting new urbanism stats and such. Also good news on DJP's Venture Incubator that Ward Schaefer wrote about in the last issue of Boom Jackson.
JPS Hearing Reveals Edwards' Failure to Communicate
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards has consistently failed to communicate about major issues facing the district, JPS Board President Kisiah Nolan testified today. Nolan was the board's first witness in a hearing on Edwards' three-year contract, which the board voted Dec. 7, 2010 not to renew.
Negative Perceptions an Obstacle for Jackson
Communicating positive messages about Jackson's progress and ending negative perceptions about crime is important to attract new residents to the city of Jackson, Jackson State University professor B. D'Andra Orey told a group of citizens this morning.
Why do people leave Jackson?
OK, I have an idea. Let's try an experiment. Let's start a list of the various reasons, positive or negative, that people might move out of Jackson proper. You can't post more than one sentence, and you can't repeat something someone else has said. (This is my blog post; thus, my rules. Smile.) Please add anything you can think of to the list and try not to include any kind of judgement in your entries; your reason may be a perception, but perceptions drive people to do things, so include it! When we get a good list, we'll start talking about each other individually to consider the problem and possible list of solutions. Everyone, please join in.
Tiara of the Day: Bluebird Crown
This year, the Sweet Potato Queens, in shiny new over-the-top outfits, sashay through Fondren in the first annual Zippity Doo Dah Parade. Boss Queen Jill Conner Browne says she has yet another first: a Larry Vrba bluebird crown.
It's the Weekend
If last weekend's St. Paddy's Parade and associated frivolities have you hankering for more, this weekend won't disappoint. The first annual Zippity Doo Dah Weekend in the Fondren neighborhood began yesterday and runs through tomorrow night. Today until 5 p.m., join the Sweet Potato Queens for the Bluebird Scavenger Hunt and the Queens Qrawl for All. Tomorrow, you'll have plenty of opportunities for family fun beginning with the Market in Fondren from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.; the Sal & Mookies 4th Annual Kid's Carniva from 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.; and live music throughout the day. The weekend closes out (for all but the heartiest SPQs) with the Zippity Doo Dah Parade at dusk. All proceeds from the weekend go to the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, so not only will you have a blast, you'll be making a difference, too.
Drama and hysteria don't change the world
After getting sucked into a couple different JFP conversations about the (over)reaction to recent Census numbers (the most recent one here), I've been thinking a lot about drama and the importance of precision in language over the last few weeks. The truth, as I have witnessed over the years, is that (a) too much drama blocks progress and (b) words really matter
Edwards Fights for JPS Job Today
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Lonnie Edwards makes his case today for an extension of his contract. The JPS Board of Trustees voted Dec. 7 not to renew Edwards' contract, which started in 2008. Under state law, superintendents can appeal initial decisions on their contracts and request a hearing before the board.
Corporations Dodge Taxes While Schools Suffer
Public education suffers while many of the state's largest corporations pay no state taxes, children's advocates said yesterday.
$7.75M Housing Development Breaks Ground
Workers break ground this afternoon on a new $7.75 million affordable housing development near Northside Drive. The project, called Holly Hills, will use low-income housing tax credits to construct 60 units of rental housing. Holly Hills should be partially open for occupancy within four months and complete by the end of the year, said Phil Eide, senior vice president of Hope Enterprise Corp., which helped fund the project.
Rosemary Maxey
Rosemary Maxey likens her office to a museum of the Jackson Convention Center's history. A picture on her wall displays the 2006 groundbreaking, in which city leaders shoveled sand on an empty lot in downtown Jackson. She also has documents showing Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.'s original appointments to the Capital City Convention Center Commission, which managed the center's initial development and its future expansion.
Sal & Mookie's Street Carnival 2011
Sal & Mookie's New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint has been a local favorite since opening its doors in 2007. For the past three years, the restaurant has brought fun to the streets of Jackson with the annual Sal & Mookie's Street Carnival.
Fondren's Parade
"Fondren is a well-oiled machine," says Boss Queen Jill Conner Browne, the original Sweet Potato Queen, of the place she chose to be the home of her upcoming Zippity Doo Dah Parade.
All Hail the Queens
When I first moved back to Mississippi, I had no idea what a Sweet Potato Queen was. Then I attended the Mal's St. Paddy's Parade and received a front-row education to the world of the "queens."
Mini-Floats for Fondren
The Zippity Doo Dah parade is a special opportunity for the Jackson community to come together and raise money for the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. For the first time, the Sweet Potato Queens are setting themselves apart from Jackson's annual Mal's St. Paddy's Parade to have a parade of their own, which promises to differ greatly from what the city has seen in years past.