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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?

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.

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.

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.

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

Confusion Over Jackson 2020

Last month, The Clarion-Ledger reported that a group of community citizens had formed a group called Jackson 2020 to combat Jackson's population shift and work on rebranding the city to attract more residents.

High School Basketball Championships Begin Today at the Coliseum

The Mississippi Coliseum once again hosts the Mississippi High Basketball Championships beginning today (February 25) until March 5. Both the boys and girls championships in each classification will be decided over the next week.

harbingers of spring (fever)

I know, we all know, it is February 23. But who cares! It feels like April! Its so warm! And sunny!

Check out these harbingers of spring and the fever they presage!

Wyatt Emmerich's ‘Welfare' Chart Dissected by The New Republic

With a hat-tip to Jay, we bring your attention to the story From Mississippi to ‘The Corner': A Tale of Right-Wing Wrongness, where our star is none other than Northside Sun publisher Wyatt Emmerich.

Barstool Quarterbacking

A weekend of cocktails, friends...oh, and I think there was a football game.

Mississippi Players in the Super Bowl

Mississippi has provided the NFL with its fair share of players. In Super Bowl XLV, the Magnolia State is represented by Mike Wallace of the Steelers and Donald Lee and Donald Driver of the Packers. Wallace played for Ole Miss, Lee played for Mississippi State, and Driver played for Alcorn State.

Mark Kelly at National Prayer Breakfast - Good Can Come From Tragedy

Here's the whole thing... around 1:36:50 is when Kelly talks about being an astronaut:

Caught in traffic yesterday (I was out trying to find salt for our steps in the ice) I heard Mark Kelly's speech at the National Prayer breakfast. (Obama also gave a great turn.) I think the speech is worth listening to, although I'm sure much of it will fall on deaf ears. The thing that hit me the hardest was when Kelly talked about how, as an astronaut, he'd learned that team-work is how you get things done in the face of problems or challenges.

Jackson State Gets 16 commitments On National Signing Day

National signing day for high school football arrived with all the excitement of Christmas for college football coaches. Starting early this morning recruits could make a decision on where to continue their football careers.

So…Am I Wrong For Pointing This Out?

Anyone else notice the extreme disparities in the comments on the Clarion Ledger sight re: The Ridgeland Shooting vs. The Terry Shooting? Both incidents. Tragic. Avoidable. Domestic disputes involving family members where tempers got out of hand. Yet, somehow, someway, the Terry suspects have managed to get called "thugs". Their lifestyles questioned, slick racial comments made. But in the case of the Ridgeland shooting...just a horrible tragedy and sympathy for the victim ad her family. Only 5 comments to 15. Am I wrong? Should I just assume that this will always be the norm? How two identical situations. Two identical crimes of passion could be reacted to SO differently. Mississippi, we HAVE to do better than this.

Americans Support Repealing HCR? Not If You Ask Them…

When the newly-minted GOP decided that its first order of business was a largely ceremonial "repeal" of the Affordable Care Act, they did two things that may not auger well for their party's continued success in elections.

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