s o u t h m i s s i

ACCENTS O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I

Celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas

DECEMBER 2009

SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION | CARLOW CHOIR| CHAINSAW ART| NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION |DISPATCHES FROM MY SOUTH

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRobyn Jackson

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSJonathon Alford

Barry BeardCharlotte BlomLouie GalianoJamie O’Quinn

Anthony ThaxtonJames WelchValerie Wells

GUEST COLUMNISTReba J. McMellon

James Welch

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

Kristi W. GatlinBrookhaven and [email protected]

Charlotte BlomHattiesburg

[email protected]

DESIGN & FABRICATIONLisa W. Pittman

[email protected]

[email protected]

ACCENT South Mississippi is published bimonthly by SoMiss Publishing LLC Post Office Box 19027

Hattiesburg, MS 39404-9027

SoMiss Publishing LLC.All rights reserved. Contents of

this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without

written consent from Publisher. ACCENT South Mississippi cannot

be held liable for errors and omissions.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Volume 1, Number 4 • December 2009

ACCENTSOUTH MISSISSIPPI

www.accentsouthmississippi.com

4 accent south mississippi

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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTby Louis A. GalianoPearl River County Community Band is adream come true for founder

World famous chainsaw artist leaves hismark in Sandersville

ARTISTRY IN WOODby Jamie O’Quinn

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONTELLING THE TRUTHby Valerie WellsStudent Daydriana Rankin stands up forHattiesburg High

SINGING TO THE LORDby Robyn JacksonSouth Mississippi’s Carlow Choir gainsinternational exposure

PHOTOGRAPHY ABOVELighting Mason Park, Laurel, MSFor 12 years, The Committee to Light Mason Parkhas replaced bulbs and strung lights to create aspecial place for the residents of Laurel to celebrate the Christmas season. The lights turnon around 4:30 p.m. and go off around 10:30 eachnight until Jan. 1. PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY BEARD

december 2009 | ACCENT SOUTH MISSISSIPPI | VOL . 1, NO. 4

featuresC O N T E N T S

ACCENTS O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I

Celebrate an Old Fashioned Christmas

DECEMBER 2009

SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION | CARLOW CHOIR| CHAINSAW ART| NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION |DISPATCHES FROM MY SOUTH

ON THE COVEROld-Fashioned SantaPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY PHOTOEXPRESS


C O N T E N T Sdecember 2009 | ACCENT SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

23SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION

in every issue

THE FIRST ANNUAL NEWHAVEN REAL LIFE NATIVITYA Short Story by Anthony Thaxton

32 HOLIDAY GLITZBrookhaven retail shops decoratein style

34 TAKE BACK CHRISTMASby James Welch

42 GLASS HOUSESArtist Donna Woods’ hand-paint-ed Christmas ornaments

36 MAKING A LIST, CHECKINGIT TWICETry these Christmas gift ideas

38 10 QUESTIONS WITH ROBERTST. JOHNDispatches from My South

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50

READ ANY GOOD BOOKSLATELY?Add these Mississippi-centricbooks to your Christmas list

46 VICTORIAN LIGHTSLuminaries light up downtownHattiesburg historic neighbor-hood

48 CROWD-PLEASING RECIPESPREPARED BY AREA CHEFS

50 COOKBOOK LADIES PROVIDETIPS FOR HOLIDAY COOKING

10 Editor’s Notes56 Life in South Mississippi

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AITINGURE

W C

for a

601.543.5719

www.waiting4acure.orgPurchase Your Copy Online

Visit our New Website


CONTRIBUTORS

JONATHON ALFORD, a Brookhaven native, isthe former chief photographer of the DailyLeader in Brookhaven and staff photographerfor the Commercial Dispatch in Columbus.Jonathon has won more than 30 individualphotography awards in the Mississippi PressAssociation and the Mississippi-LouisianaAssociated Press awards, including Photo ofthe Year in 2001. Jonathon has contributed toseveral publications including “America 24-7”by DK Publishing, The Clarion Ledger, theNatchez Democrat, the Enterprise-Journal,Daily Leader, Commercial Dispatch, SouthMississippi Scene and Accent SouthMississippi.

BARRY BEARD, a Laurel native, graduatedwith a degree in photojournalism from theUniversity of Southern Mississippi in 1992. Hehas worked as a photographer at newspapersin Laurel, Natchez, Vicksburg, Hattiesburgand Jackson, Tenn. He left the newspaperbusiness in 2002 to become co-owner of afast-food business in Laurel, and has beendoing freelance photography for theAssociated Press and various publications.

CHARLOTTE BLOM has a bachelor of artsdegree from Vassar College. She has beenfreelance copy editing and writing for years,as well as sampling unrelated professionalexperiences. She enjoys exploring, huntingand gathering in and around her home inHattiesburg.

LOUIS A. GALIANO owns an antiques storewith his wife Debbie in Picayune. A graduateof Louisiana State University with twindegrees in English and business, his careerhas been mostly in management and in teach-ing college economics. He is presently atwork on his second novel, a sequel to hisfirst, “Snorkel - Immersions in Time.” Born inNew Orleans, he moved to the Picayune areamore than 20 years ago.

REBA J. MCMELLON is a freelance writer,

photographer, columnist and professionalmental health consultant. She reviews bookswritten in or about the South. Her Wit andWisdom column, book reviews and featurearticles have been published in newspapersand magazines both nationally and interna-tionally. She lives in Hurley.

JAMIE O’QUINN is a freelance writer, photog-rapher and mom of many. She produces a syn-dicated column which can be viewed atwww.hollywoodsouth.ms. A former publicrelations editor and agency photographer forthe state, she currently serves as Hattiesburgchapter president of the Mississippi WritersGuild. Whether dancing with the ChoctawIndians or flicking sawdust out of her hairwhile witnessing chainsaw artists in action,she remains intrigued with the beloved peo-ple of our Magnolia State.

ANTHONY THAXTON is a painter, musician,television producer and columnist. His videoproductions have won numerous nationalawards. He is a former resident of Petal whonow resides in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

JAMES WELCH is a freelance writer who grewup in the McComb area and has lived in theHattiesburg area for the last six years, withhis high school sweetheart and wife, Wendy.They have three children, Ariana, Lauren andBraden. He likes to treat every day as anadventure, and with three children under theage of seven, it usually is.

VALERIE WELLS is a freelance writer who hascovered all aspects of community journalismfor the past 20 years. A military brat withdeep roots in South Mississippi, she looks forstories about the shared history and cultureof the region brought to life by everydayfolk. She has written for national and region-al magazines and has been editor of severalpublications and Web sites. She lives inHattiesburg with a patient husband and twowell-adjusted sons.


EDITOR’S NOTES

IIT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR, OR SO THE SONG TELLSUS. BUT FOR MANY SOUTH MISSISSIPPIANS,THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS NOTSO JOLLY. WHETHER THEY’VE LOST A JOB, THEIR RETIREMENT SAVINGS,THEIR HEALTH, OR A LOVED ONE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HURTING.

SINCERELY SOUTHERN

S E A S O N O F H O P E

Robyn Jackson

The worst thing to lose, though, is hope.Even if you put your faith in God to work it all out for good and provide for your

needs, struggling to keep a roof over your head and food in your pantry because you nolonger have an income can test that faith. Facing Christmas without someone you lovecan sap any joy it might normally bring. It’s easy to get depressed this time of year. Theholidays can also remind us of how lonely we are, or how afraid we feel.

So maybe now, more than ever, we need the hope that the holiday season brings. It’snot by accident that the three major holidays celebrated each dark December - Christmas,Hanukkah and Kwanzaa - all feature candles and lights, which are symbols for hope.

If you don’t have many traditions, 2009 is the year to start some. Set up a nativityscene. Begin a collection of snowmen or Santas. Invite some friends over for a tree-trim-ming party or a cookie swap. Sit down with your kids for a Christmas movie marathon.Bake cookies. Attend a church service. Light a scented candle. Enjoy the decorated win-dows at the retailers that line Brookway Boulevard in Brookhaven, or drive through theVictorian Candlelit Christmas celebration in the Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood.

If you can afford it, buy groceries for a friend or neighbor who has hit hard times.Adopt a child on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, or send a Christmas card to a nursinghome resident who no longer has anyone to remember them at this time of year.Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Doing something to help others will lift your spirits.

This issue of Accent South Mississippi celebrates the season with features on every-thing from chainsaw artists to holiday entertaining. There is reason to celebrate. Wemustn’t forget that.

As 2009 rushes to its end, let’s hope and pray that the recession also comes to a swiftend, that prosperity and peace of mind return soon, and that 2010 is better for all of us.

Merry Christmas, and happy new year!


FEATURES | community band plans holiday concert

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTPearl River County Community Band is a

dream come true for founder

STEXT BY LOUIS A. GALIANOPHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDI HEAD

Sometimes happiness takes a circuitousroute. So it is with Johnny Baker and the PearlRiver County Community Band. If you’ve neverheard it, you should, and in the process youwill become a believer that success comes withcommitment, passion and a devout convictionthat to be the best involves a dedicationtoward perfection.

The band has only been in existence sinceOctober 2008, but within two months it wasgiving its first concert to an amazed audienceof steadily growing aficionados who await thenext performance with increasing eagernessand steady devotion.

The director of the band is Johnny Baker, aformer instructor in music at Picayune MemorialHigh School who is remembered by his studentsas the best there was and who not only insistedon flawlessness but inspired his pupils in thatdirection, as many testimonial letters from thatperiod and after indicate.

But the road to the Community Band was nota direct one.

Baker at first studied for the ministry.Realizing that such was not his calling, heturned to music and was the band director atPicayune Memorial High School from 1971 until1978. But at that time he was made an offer hecould not refuse. His family had always been inthe jewelry business and he was presented witha job by a major New York jewelry firm, Kasperand Esh, as a distributor at a salary far inexcess of his income as teacher. Still, his heartwas directed toward music and the thought ofone day directing a band.

Following the distributorship, he opened hisown jewelry shop in Picayune which he man-aged for 10 years until realizing that the retailbusiness was not for him. A short stint in mag-azine sales put the finishing touches on vend-ing, and in 2005 he retired from the commer-cial world, his hopes for a band unrealized.

Baker’s stint as band director left its impres-sion and when in 2008 he attended a footballgame at Picayune High School, a former studentsuggested to him that the town should have acommunity band and that Baker should be itsdirector. As other students began arriving atBaker’s home with the same suggestion andafter a bit of arm-twisting he finally agreed. Afriend told him that he was lucky if he couldfind 30 musicians. Within three days he had 67.

My first exposure to the Community Band wasa patriotic concert given in honor of 9/11 whichincluded an incredibly strong memorial piececomplete with chorus. Upon leaving, I was con-vinced that this was no ordinary band, butrather a dedicated assembly which in all seri-ousness had accomplished something special andhad offered the community a gift which it couldlook upon with pride.

I have always been interested in a behind-the-scenes look at things and Johnny Baker waskind enough to let me attend a rehearsal heldat Picayune’s First United Methodist Church inadvance of the band’s upcoming Christmas con-cert. I arrived early and watched as the musi-cians entered, greeted each other, assembledtheir instruments, and assumed their seats. Theages seemed to range from grandparent statusto the very young, while the scene was accom-panied by the dissonant sounds of flutes, tubas,and trumpets running through some notes. Afterwhat seemed to be the customary reminders,

admonitions and praise, the group was toldwhat pieces they would be playing that night.Sheet music was brought forth and the band wascalled to order.

Suddenly the movement of his hands broughtforth the powerful profound haunting beauty ofa Bach chorale that filled the room. I wonderedabout the pleasure one would receive from tak-ing such a disparate collection of sounds andpersonalities and producing such stunning andabiding harmonies. But Johnny Baker was notcompletely satisfied and the chorale was playedonce more - deeply, more radiant. With eachplaying, the piece appeared to attain a morestriking depth, until it satisfied Johnny’s ear.

“That was pretty good,” he said. The bandknew a compliment when it heard one.

At one point he had the band sing a passage.He told me later that singing would impress themovement within their minds in a precise waywhich could not be attained otherwise. Itbecame obvious that playing music was morethan merely reading the scale and reproducingwhat was written there. There were specifictones, beats and sounds that Johnny required.

“Don’t soften the note,” he said. “Make itbounce.”

The following day, I interviewed Johnny Bakerand we spoke generally about the high price ofmusical instruments, the intellectual nature ofmusic, the dedication of the band, the possibili-ty of taking the group on tour and hisunabashed affection for the musicians. Whatinterested me most, however, was the feeling ofsatisfaction of a man, now 68 years old, whohad finally fulfilled his dreams.

When I asked that question, he did not hesi-tate in his answer.

“I’ve come home,” he smiled. “I’ve finallycome home.”

accent south mississippi 13

CHRISTMAS CONCERTPicayune Main Street will sponsor “Community

Christmas in the Park” featuring the Pearl RiverCounty Community Band and Chorus at 6 p.m.

Dec. 14 in Jack Read Park in Picayune. For moreinformation, call (601) 700-3070.


FEATURES | chainsaw art

ARTISTRY IN WOODA world champion chainsaw artist and his friends leave their marks in Sandersville

WTEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE O’QUINN

What began as a party in Sandersville withguests toting chainsaws and adaptive accessorieshas eventually evolved into what has been infor-mally dubbed as the chainsaw artists’ “Walk ofFame.”

Hidden amongst 250-plus wooded acres, thehospitality of award-winning master carverDayton Scoggins and saw helper/wife Michelle,has attracted other world-renowned chainsawcarvers from near and far with many leavingtheir mark - quite literally - on their porch.

“Hurricane Katrina took the roofing off ourback deck and tossed it over into the pines,”Michelle explained. “With so many downed treesafterwards, Dayton cut them into boards andbuilt the deck roofing on three sides of thehouse.”

Though the trunks of uprooted trees were uti-lized as columns and looked pretty good,Michelle had another vision. “Why not carvethese posts?” she asked.

With the tremendous demand for the Scoggins’“Artistry in Wood” business for stump and logcarvings in the wake of the hurricane’s aftermath,and chainsaw carving competitions and demon-strations, the porch column carvings were put onhold. It was during a break between chainsawcarving competitions that fellow chainsaw carverDave Lavoie - aka Captain Dave of Townsend,Tenn. - and Australian Angie Polglaze spentsome rest and relaxation time at the Scogginshome.

“Angie had been traveling around to competi-tions with us and she wanted to do one of hertrademark chicks for us,” Michelle said. “Beinghere in the South, I thought it would be great tohave a Daisy Duke.”

Since freshly harvested wood works better forcarving, three logs were located on the Scogginsproperty and the trio of master chainsaw carversset to simultaneously working on the porch carv-ings.

“I did the bear on the far corner, Angie did thegirl at the opposite end and Captain Dave did thefairy in between,” Dayton said. “When the carv-ings were completed, the old, hard columns wereremoved and the newly sculpted artwork wasinserted.”

Thus began the walk of fame.With a leisurely stroll around the porch, it is

evident that the posts portray both unique per-sonalities as well as styles. Dayton’s bear isreflective of his realistic style and attention tointricate details. Next is a whimsical ChapNelson “Hello” face that greets you as you climbthe steps and bids you a sad “Goodbye” as youleave. Dennis Beach’s imposing bear grabs yourattention as you go down the line and the beartheme continues to the nearby two cubs carved


by Joe Semler. “Lisa Fairy” restsdaintily on the next post pro-duced by Captain Dave. Themystical creature is so titledbecause she happens to looklike a chainsaw chick of thesame name. Fred Bero’s “SlimLefty” depicts a hillbilly com-plete with removable redtongue, one tooth, and two leftfeet. Holding up her corner ofthe porch is Daisy Duke withred toenails, one of the originalporch sculptures carved byAngie Polglaze.

Down the other side of thehouse is another masterpiece byDennis Beach titled “The Soulof the Forest,” which features amother bear and eagle battlingover a salmon. This piece wasthe original practice piece Beachcarved at the Scoggins’ work

building in preparation for himand Dayton competing andwinning the World Cup ofchainsaw sculpting in Germany.Nick Bero, son of Fred Bero,completed the next piece featur-ing raccoon and squirrel. Thefinal piece on that side is theonly one actually sculpted fromthe original Katrina post. It is adepiction of a tornado causedby Katrina, and sculpted by PatMcVay. The two completedposts on the back were carvedby two up and coming artists,Ken Packie and Bert Davidson,who the Scoggins met duringcompetitions. The pieces weretransported back home.

Though this former towboatcaptain husband and bargemate wife have only been in thechainsaw carving business

seven and a half years, Daytonhas won an impressive amountof awards and recognitions. Infact, after winning first place inhis first competition and turn-ing pro, he has been featuredon local and international tele-vision and in multiple publica-tions. His art is exhibited inevery state in the U.S. and sev-eral countries abroad and haswon a plethora of awardsincluding first place for theWorld Cup at the Husky Cup inMulda, Germany, in May 2009,and the Golden ChainsawCompetition in Minnesota in2009. In addition, he was one ofonly two Americans invited tothe World Chainsaw ArtCompetition in Toei, Japan, in2006 and in September 2005represented the United States as


one of only 15 Americansaccepted to the internationalinvitation-only SandringhamFestival of Wood. He is also amember of The CascadeChainsaw Sculptors Guild, theCraftsman’s Guild ofMississippi, and a member ofthe Mississippi ArtsCommission as a Roster Artist.

Whether traveling abroad tocompetitions or competing herein the U.S., Dayton consistentlyenjoys his interaction with oth-ers.

“There are so many differentaspects of going to competi-tion,” Dayton said. “Myfavorite is meeting the people,seeing different countries andgetting to know other carvers.From making so many friendsat the competitions, we couldprobably travel across theUnited States and pretty muchknow somebody along theway.”

Though the Scoggins do theirfair share of traveling, theirchainsaw carving friends makean effort to come visit them,often for a seven- to 10-daystay.

“We are like a safe haven”Michelle said. “People can comehere for rest and relaxation,hunting, fishing, eating and ifthey want they can carve.”

Some of their friends travelfrom the north because springcomes earlier down here.Others from Europe want tocontinue their travel and explo-ration of the U.S. after competi-tion and experience the culturesouth of the Mason-Dixon Line.

No matter where they are from,friends and guests tend to makethe same request.

“They all want to eatSouthern food” Michelle said.“Now, I was born a Yankee andnever fried anything before Imet Dayton. Fortunately, hismom taught me how to makegreens and other Southern spe-cialties. When people ask whySouthern food is so good, I tellthem the secret – bacon.”

In addition to good food,Michelle said their friends oftenfeel like experimenting withnew materials. In addition tohand, chainsaw, bone and stonecarving, Dayton also possessesadditional skills in metal art.This equipment is made avail-able to their guests to experi-ment with as well. In fact,Dayton enjoys finding newtools to utilize in his chainsawcarving work.

“I am a full-powered carver,”he said. “When I go off to acompetition it is 99 percentchainsaw carving and then wepull out the power tools. I’malways looking for something tomake my work easier or better.I’m for whatever will get thejob done.“

From specialty bars utilizedto add small details to burningthe wood for both color andsmoothness, some items aremore standard in the industry.Other items, however, might bea crossover experiment fromanother art medium.

“I remember a recent compe-tition when Dayton pulled anairbrush out of his bag instead

of the traditional spray paintcan,” Michelle said. “I got akick out of watching some ofthe other participants’ faces.”

Dayton said that airbrushinghas been used by hand carverssuch as those specializing inducks for years, but the conceptof a chainsaw carver using itwas a little different.

“Everybody is hunting tomake things easier and whensomebody pulls out a new tool,well we are all going over thereto check it out. That’s how artprogresses.”

In addition to his willingnessto experiment, Dayton‘s lifelongpassion for hunting, fishing andtrapping has also added to hisunderstanding of the intricatedetails of animals and otherwildlife.

“There’s no substitution forknowledge,” Dayton said.“People carve what they envi-sion, whether it’s right orwrong. Some people are just alittle more right than others onwhat their vision looks like.”

In addition to a passion forchainsaw art, many of thefriends who visit the Scogginsare also outdoor enthusiasts,including renowned sculptureDennis Beach. Beach andDayton partnered in the HuskyCup chainsaw carving competi-tion in Germany this year andwon the World Cup.

“For me, carving is easy, it isa matter of getting inspired,”Beach said. “I have so much funhanging out with Dayton thatit’s easy to get inspired.”

Beach said that when he visits

the Scoggins, he feels like a high school kid again, onlythey have a bigger selection of toys now, such as a bull-dozer and other equipment.

“Dayton seems like somebody I’ve known all my life,”Beach said. “I feel like we are cut from the same cloth. Ichampion him as a true friend and I don’t say that toooften.”

Whether just hunting and fishing or whipping outpractice pieces together, it is friendships such as theirsthat seem to tie this artistic community together.

As for the Walk of Fame posts, well, that seems to bejust an added bonus. Dayton said that sometimes hewalks out on his porch, looks around and smiles. “I thinkit’s pretty wild to have people come from all over to dosomething like this for us and leave it. It is just reallycool.”

For more information on Dayton and Michelle Scoggins atArtistry in Wood, visit their Web site at

www.artistryinwood.com or call (601) 649-6054.

FEATURES | carlow choir

Singing for the LordSOUTH MISSISSIPPI’S CARLOW CHOIR

GAINS INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE

VVicki Priebe was just looking for a relaxingevening when she decided to attend a 2007concert in Hattiesburg by classical guitaristJohn DeChiaro. She had no idea the concertwould change her life.

After his performance, DeChiaro broughtout members of the Carlow Choir, a nonde-nominational ensemble he had founded in2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, tobring hope to residents of storm-ravagedSouth Mississippi and Louisiana.

“He was recruiting,” Priebe said. Touchedby their brief performance, she decided tojoin.

“It gave me a new direction in my life,”Priebe said. “My husband had passed away afew years earlier.”

The choir has accomplished a great deal inthe four short years since its founding. LastOctober, the choir traveled to Italy to per-form for Pope Benedict XIV at the Vatican. InSeptember it recorded a concert forMississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson,and there will be a concert at Carnegie Hallin 2011. In November, the choir taped a con-

cert for EWTN, the Catholic television chan-nel.

“It was a very rigorous process we had togo through to get this,” DeChiaro said. “I’vebeen trying for two years to get this. Thiswill give us international exposure becauseEWTN airs around the world.”

DeChiaro, a retired professor at theUniversity of Southern Mississippi, named thechoir after the seminary in Ireland wheremany of South Mississippi’s priests were edu-cated, so members are especially excitedabout headlining a choir festival next Octoberat Carlow College. They will also perform atSt. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The tourcame about after two women wearing CarlowChoir T-shirts were stopped in Assisi, Italy, ontheir 2008 tour, by a man who was fromCarlow, Ireland. One thing led to another, andthey were eventually invited to perform atthe college.

A CD, “Reflections for the Heart: SacredAnthems for Choir,” was released this autumnby Centaur Records. It was recorded in August2008 at Southwest Mississippi Community

TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON


College in Summit.“The music on this disk is

sacred anthems,” DeChiarosaid. “It’s what I call the bestof the Bible. There are versesof the Bible that people set tomusic, such as the 23rd Psalm.The song ‘Weep, Mother Mary,’describes what she must havefelt when she saw Jesus dyingon the cross. We sang thesesongs on our tour of Italy.”

The approximately 150-member choir is divided intotwo groups, one that is basedin Hattiesburg and one that isbased in Alexandria, La.,where DeChiaro is currentlyemployed as director of thestring music program for theAlexandria public school sys-tem. He makes the four-hourdrive from Alexandria toHattiesburg each week to workwith the Hattiesburg choir.

The members are equally asdedicated. Some drive toHattiesburg from as far away

as McComb, the MississippiGulf Coast and New Orleanseach Monday night for rehears-al at River of Life Church onU.S. 98 West.

“We love it, we love John,”said Mary Ellen Lestrade, whodrives up from Escatawpa withher husband, Oscar. “We firststarted singing with Johnabout 10 years ago (when hewas choir director) at anotherchurch on the Coast. It meanstoo much to us, we missed it.Around Christmas time, wecame back.”

Alan Butner joined the tenorsection a few months ago. “Oneof the ladies recruited me,” hesaid. “I thought I could sing forthe Lord.”

DeChiaro said part of thereason for the choir’s successis that it “becomes the voiceof God” during performances.

“Whenever we give con-certs, people are always cryingbecause the music touches

them,” he said.DeChiaro, who had per-

formed on guitar for Pope JohnPaul II twice at the Vatican,said he decided to submit ademo tape of the choir to theVatican on a whim. After alengthy acceptance process,Carlow Choir was invited toperform for Benedict XIV.

There’s a big differencebetween performing a solo gui-tar concert for the pope andconducting a large choir,DeChiaro said.

“When you’re doing it byyourself, you just have toworry about you, not 140 peo-ple,” he said.

Priebe said God has His handon the Carlow Choir and isblessing it.

“It’s just wonderful to seehow God has brought peopletogether from all denomina-tions,” Priebe said. “When wesing, we’re singing from ourhearts and our experience.”

CARLOW CHOIR

Rehearsals are held at 7 p.m. Mondayat River of Life Church on U.S. 98West. Anyone interested in joining

Carlow Choir can attend.

For more information, go towww.carlowchoir.org.

The CD is $15 and is available atDoherty’s Furniture, Lil Butcher

Shoppe, Lovie’s and WestgateCleaners, and from Amazon.com

and iTunes.


FEATURES | daydriana rankin


New Year’sResolut ion

“TELLING THE TRUTH”

DTEXT AND PHOTOS BY VALERIE WELLS

Daydriana Rankin, 16, decided 2010 will bethe year she challenges stereotypes aboutHattiesburg High School. She’s a busy juniorwith a bright future, but she will make time.

“Get to know my Hattiesburg High School.We are not what everybody thinks we are,” shesaid.

Rankin is tired of going to her little brother’ssoccer matches and people asking her aboutgangs at Hattiesburg High.

“There are cliques at every school,” Rankinsaid. But she doesn’t see any gang activity atHattiesburg High.

“Our discipline is very strict. People think weare running around here, that doesn’t happen,”she said as a class of quiet teenagers filed by ontheir way to lunch on the quiet HHS campus.

“It’s ridiculous.”It’s more than just idle talk on the soccer field

that riles Daydriana Rankin. It’s the local mediathat she believes creates negative impressions ofHattiesburg High. Last year, when a gun wasfound on campus, several news reports focusedon crime at HHS while promoting positive activ-ities at surrounding schools. She said it was amisunderstanding that took on sinister implica-tions.

“The situation was taken too far and gotblown out of proportion, making the front pageof newspapers and being the talk of the localnews media,” Rankin said.

“I’m sure that negative things happen at allschools, but I have never seen those stories inthe news. It was then when I began to realize

Student Daydriana Rankinstands up for Hattiesburg High


that we rarely get news cover-age about all of the positivethings that happen at HHS.”

Instead of digging up dirt onOak Grove High or Petal High,Rankin prefers to take the highroad and accentuate positiveachievements at HattiesburgHigh that don’t get much press.

“I wish that people could seeall of the success produced atour school. We have so manysuccessful and talented studentswho are only striving to do bet-ter,” she said. “For example, didyou know how great our foren-sics team is? Or have you everheard our chamber and concertorchestra? Or have you visitedsome of our great vocationalclasses?”

She admits she has seen asmall shift in the media cover-age of HHS this year, but wantsto see more positive stories andmore consistency. She’s workingwith HHS Principal RobertSanders to create a group ofHHS students who will questionnegative reports and promotepositive news. One possibility isa Web site updated by students.Rankin has more ideas. It addsto her commitments.

“She’s a good student,”Sanders said. He pointed at hersitting in one of her favoritespots on campus, the gazebo.“We are very happy to haveher.”

She gets up at 6 a.m. onweekdays. She goes to historyclass, then physics, then psy-chology. After lunch, she has

trig, Spanish II, AP English andorchestra. She has to practiceher violin for the upcomingChristmas concert that includesa five-act piece of music. She’sin BETA Club, the NationalHonor Society, Student Council,Future Business Leaders ofAmerica, Poetry in Motion Club,Hattiesburg Del-Teen, SouthernMississippi Youth Orchestra,Spanish Club and ForrestGeneral Spirit Girls. She’s con-templating a run for studentbody president this spring.

She’s also competing in theForrest County Junior Miss pro-gram and trying to get her roompainted the right shade of pur-ple.

“After school I always havesome kind of meeting, practice,or something to do and afterfinally arriving home I have along list of homework to do allbefore getting ready for bed todo it all over again,” Rankinsaid.

“It’s tough, but I have to pri-oritize and maybe after I get itall done, I get to work a littlefun into my schedule. I like togo to parks, game rooms,movie theaters and play sportswith close friends or familyfrom time to time just to havefun and put the busy thingsaside for a while.”

She has a close family. Davidand Yolanda Rankin supporttheir daughter’s pursuitswholeheartedly. David Rankinsaid his daughter can enlightenothers about what is really hap-

pening at Hattiesburg High.He’s proud of her graphic art.Her daddy calls her “DayDay.”

She listens to all kinds ofmusic from classical to country,but her favorite is pop. Sheloves to eat strawberries. Sheshops for clothes at Forever21and Charlotte Russe. Herfavorite books include “ThingsFall Apart” by Chinua Achebeand “Anthem” by Ayn Rand.She writes poetry.

Before she attended HHS,Rankin heard plenty of nega-tive comments about theschool.

“Later when I actuallyentered ninth grade and com-pared the talk of outsideobservers to the actual every-day actions of the school, Ibegan to realize that a lot of theoutside talk was over-exagger-ated or untrue,” Rankin said.

She is comparing colleges,looking for the best fit amongthe University of SouthernMississippi, University ofMississippi, University ofMaryland, University of Texasat Austin and University ofAlabama at Birmingham Sheplans to major in journalismand communications or busi-ness and entrepreneurship.

“Or who knows? Maybeboth.”

Rankin intends to be areporter and a writer, then starther own magazine. She wantsto tell untold stories.

“I would be one of the goodjournalists,” she said.










Holiday Glitz!Each year the merchants along Brookway

Boulevard in Brookhaven dress their windows lavishly in festive holiday attire.Pink and lime green Christmas trees, featherboas, baby dolls and toys, sparkly snowflakesand shiny ornaments are just the beginningsof “over-the-top” window dressings in thissmall town. And did we mention lights?Thousands of lights make every windowsparkle. This year is no exception -Brookway Boulevard is ‘putting on the glitz!’

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHON ALFORD

HOLIDAYS | christmas is love


What can we learn fromChristmas? Every year, it seems to arrive earlierand earlier. By the time we make it through oneChristmas, the next is just around the bend.Seemingly before the wrapping paper is cleanedfrom the floor, we begin thinking about nextChristmas.

Many of us will begin saving for next Christmasimmediately following this one and it neverseems enough. What are we trying to accom-plish? This holiday has become more and morestressful as time has gone on, and yet it wasn’tmeant to be this way.

Christmas began as a time of celebrating andyet, it scarcely seems like we are celebrating atall. There is little time to celebrate, betweenfighting the crowds to buy that special gift andplanning a huge dinner. All hope of enjoymentseems to be lost amongst Christmas tree assem-bly and the hanging of blinking lights. Insteadof those circular wreaths representing a circle ofunending love, they seem to be representativeof the circles we run in and hoops that we jumpthrough to get past this holiday.

Christmas has morphed into a very differentkind of holiday. Saint Nicholas gave childrentoys, but it wasn’t dependant on their behavior.Father Christmas is widely accepted as the spiritof good cheer, and yet our holiday is usuallyrather grumpy. The tree represented the contin-

uing of life through the winter and yet our livesthrough this season are unrecognizable. Thelights were for celebrating and yet often timesthey are for competing these days. Presentswere to be given to others, with no regards forourselves. Now we teach our children to makelists of what they want.

Prices of gifts are on the rise and with oureconomic condition, what better time is therethan now to take Christmas back?

Let’s be of good cheer. Let’s celebrate withlights, trees and carols and let’s remember whatwe are celebrating. Buy a few presents, butbuy them for someone else even if they haven’tbeen good. This is the time to mend shakyfriendships and heal broken families. This is thetime to love one another and enjoy a glass ofeggnog by the fire. This is the season to be jolly,and chase a loved one around the house with astrand of mistletoe.

Yes, this is the time to take Christmas back.Take it back to the basics. Take it back to thetraditions. Take it back to love and compassion,to helping those in need, with no regard for our-selves. Let’s have a Tiny Tim kind of Christmasand stop being a Scrooge. With any luck, theghost of Christmas past will take us into the pastthis year, we will remember the meaning of thistreasured holiday and we will reclaim it for whatit always has been. A symbol of unending love.

TAKE BACKChristmasTEXT BY JAMES WELCH

O

HOLIDAYS | gifts ideas


MAKING A LIST

TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON

Out of ideas for uniqueChristmas gifts for family andfriends? Get out your list andstart checking them off, becauseseveral South Mississippi retail-ers have lots of ideas to help.

Seasonal decorative items arealways good, suggests GailAlbert, owner of Plums and AGallery in downtownHattiesburg.

“Before Gail Pittman stoppedmaking pottery in Jackson, wehad her make us a limited edi-tion ornament,” Albert said.There are only 100 of the star-shaped collector’s piece.

She also recommends thepewter pieces by MauriceMilleur of Gulfport, whosemagnolia ornament hung on theWhite House Christmas tree,and the reed diffusers and otherFrasier Fir scented items byThymes. “It smells exactly likea Christmas tree,” Albert says.

Brushfire Design ornamentsmade in Hattiesburg are only$16 and can be personalized,Albert says. Shapes includecrosses, angels and animals,and there are designs for sol-diers, a variety of professions,and even Harley-Davidsonenthusiasts. There are alsodesigns for baby’s firstChristmas, brides and grooms

and first homes.Personalized items are great

choices, says Connie Hooper,owner of Engravables inBrookhaven. “We have a few.Personalized necklaces withchildren’s names on sterling sil-ver disks, the Prayer Bracelet,monogrammed refillable softsoap dispensers, monogrammedcake pans and cutting boards.”

For women, Hooper suggestspersonalized bamboo cuttingboards and metal can pans withlids, or engraved jewelry. Formen, she suggests a leathermoney clip front pocket walletor anything in camouflage.

“Although we sell a greatdeal of single initial gifts forlast-minute gifts, our customersare planning ahead and doingmonograms and names on giftsto make them personal,”Hooper says.

Foodies will appreciate gadg-ets such as microplaners or LeCreuset cookware, says JulieHall at the Kitchen Table inHattiesburg.

“People are always coming infor gadgets,” she says. “Rightnow people are looking for hol-iday Bundt pans and seasonalcookie cutters. They also like toget our made in Mississippifood product gift bags.”

If gourmet food products arewhat you have in mind, youcan find many “made inMississippi” products in SouthMississippi gift shops.

Hattiesburg chef and restau-rateur Robert St. John also hashis own RSJ food products linewhich includes a bloody marymix that got a shout-out inOprah Winfrey’s O at Homemagazine last year. New to theline this year is Thick ThickThick Maple Praline Syrup andMy Grandmother’s PancakeMix.

“We introduced the Rich RichRich Hot Chocolate Mix lastyear,” says Stacey Andrews,marketing director for St. John’sNew South Restaurant Group.“In less than two months, wesold over 3,000 pounds. It’s sorich and thick, we say it’s likepudding in a cup, and youmake it with water. The cinna-mon shortbread cookies aredelicious and pair nicely withthe hot chocolate. The combomakes great teacher gifts, clientgifts, hostess gifts, just to namea few.”

RSJ books and products areavailable atwww.robertstjohn.com and atspeciality food stores through-out Mississippi.

checking it twice...

HOLIDAYS | dispatches from my south


10 QUESTIONS WITH ROBERT ST. JOHN

ITEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON

Hattiesburg restaurateur andchef Robert St. John has pub-lished his eighth book, a compi-lation of his syndicated news-paper columns, just in time forChristmas. “Dispatches FromMy South” also features his Top40 recipes and 20 new ones. Hewill have signings on Dec. 3 atSisters By Design inBrookhaven, and on Dec. 7 atMain Street Books in downtownHattiesburg and Dec. 23 atBooks a Million in Hattiesburg.

St. John, who owns thePurple Parrot Cafe andCrescent City Diner, is alsolaunching a nonprofit organiza-tion, Extra Table, that enablesrestaurants to contribute tofood charities. If that wasn’tenough, he has his own gour-met food product line and isshopping a pilot for a TV show,“Eating the South,” to the net-works.

1. WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITY

CHEF?If it’s a chef on television, I

like Anthony Bourdain. He’sthe real deal. I like AndrewZimmern, too. I’ve done anepisode of “Bizarre Foods” withhim, and he is a very nice,charming, and humble man.John Besh is a good friend. I

admire his work. My favoritechef is probably Thomas Kellerof the French Laundry, he’s in aclass all by himself.

2. DO YOU WATCH ANY OF THE COOK-ING COMPETITION SHOWS, LIKE “TOP

CHEF” OR “IRON CHEF”?WOULD YOU EVER COMPETE ON ONE

OF THEM?I like “Top Chef.” Watching

“Iron Chef” makes me too nerv-ous. I would love to judge oneof those shows. I’d be a terriblecontestant on that type of for-mat. My cooking style and culi-nary interests are very limited.

3. WHAT’S THE ONE INGREDIENT YOU

CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT AS A CHEF?Creole seasoning.

4. WHAT’S THE ONE GADGET YOU CAN-NOT LIVE WITHOUT?

At home, I love my cast ironskillet. Though, I probably usea six-inch omelet pan moreoften.

5. YOU JOT DOWN COLUMN IDEAS ON

EVERYTHING FROM NAPKINS TO

RECEIPTS, AND EVEN USE THE NOTES

FUNCTION ON YOUR IPHONE. ARE YOU

ORGANIZED?My notes are scattered every-

where. Early on in my writingcareer, I would have an idea, I

would flesh it out in my mind,and then I would tell myself toremember the idea. I neverremembered it. Two years later,something would trigger amemory and I would think of itagain. It made me mad that Ihad forgotten it. That’s when Istarted taking notes. They’reeverywhere. If I think of some-thing that is worthy of fleshingout, I write it down. I haveMead Five Star 9-inch note-books everywhere - in my car,by my bed, on my desk.

6. IS WRITER’S BLOCK EVER A PROB-LEM, OR DO YOU EVER HAVE TROUBLE

COMING UP WITH AN IDEA FOR A COL-UMN?

I’m probably going to jinxmyself here, but no. So far, thathasn’t been a problem, probablybecause I have so many noteslying around. So far, so good,700 words a week, 52 weeks ayear, for 10 years. I’ve nevermissed a week.

7. DO YOU COOK FOR YOUR FAMILY OR


DO YOU LEAVE THAT TO YOUR WIFE,JILL? WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE TO

COOK AT HOME?Jill cooks for the family, I

cook for friends. Cioppino orBaked Shrimp and Squash (Bothof which are in the new book).

8. You travel a lot and dine insome of America’s best restaurants.WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THESE

DINING EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE

BROUGHT BACK TO YOUR OWN RESTAU-RANTS?

Tons, too many to mention. Ibelieve that it is vital to get outthere and see what’s happeningin the culinary world across thecountry. I have always been afirm believer in that concept. Ibring a lot of ideas back hereand we implement them in ourrestaurants. It’s the only way tostay fresh and on the cuttingedge.

I also send our chefs andmanagers out to restaurants allof the time, to dine and discov-er in cities all across the coun-try, you just don’t hear fromthem because they don’t writeabout it. Though you do eat theresults of their research anddevelopment when you visit therestaurants.

9. WHAT’S THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL

RESTAURANT?Most of the textbooks will tell

you: Location, location, loca-tion. That’s bunk. It’s:Management, management,management. No question.Good management can over-come a poor location, but poor

management will close a goodlocation. All of our restaurant’sdaily successes are a result ofmanagement (not me, the man-agers) following through on ourpolicies and goals. Conversely,when we drop the ball, it’s usu-ally due to management not fol-lowing through on our mission.

I’m proud to say that ourmanagement team is the best inthe state. We are hitting on allcylinders right now. Our suc-cess is 100 percent due to theirhard work.

10. ARE YOU EVER SURPRISED AT HOW

SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE? WHEN YOU

STARTED OUT, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE

DOING ALL THE THINGS YOU’RE DOING

NOW?I don’t really think of myself

as all that successful. I’m just alucky guy who’s been in theright place a few times.Seriously, that’s not false mod-esty. There are hundreds ofpeople who are more talentedand dedicated, I just workedreally hard early on, got a lot ofhelp from friends and associatesthrough the years, and got afew lucky breaks.

No, I never imagined any ofthis. I just wanted to own myown restaurant, partly because Icould wear whatever I wantedto work. I didn’t want to wear atie everyday and I wanted to bemy own boss. Other than a deeppassion for restaurants andfood, that’s about as far into itas my thought process took me.

I am a very lucky and blessedguy, I try to never forget that,

and I thank God multiples timesevery day.

Muz’s Fudge Cake(Brownies)

4 squares Baker’s chocolate2 sticks butter4 eggs2 cups sugar1 cup flour1 teaspoon pure vanillaextract1 cup nuts, choppedPinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate and butter

together in a double boiler. Once

incorporated, let cool slightly.

Cooled chocolate should still be

liquid in form.

Mix together the four eggs and

gradually add the two cups of

sugar until completely incorpo-

rated. Slowly pour the slightly

warm chocolate mixture into the

egg/sugar mixture, making sure

not to scramble the eggs.

Carefully incorporate the flour

into the chocolate/egg mixture.

Add vanilla, nuts, salt and mix.

Line a pan with waxed paper

or parchment. Pour in the choco-

late mix. Bake at 350 degrees

approximately 30 minutes or

until an inserted toothpick

comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Let cool

for five minutes. Carefully flip

the fudge cake and finish cool-

ing. Once cooled completely,

remove waxed paper and cut into

squares. Makes 12-14 brownies.


“THE STATE OF JONES,”BY SALLY JENKINS ANDJOHN STAUFFER,$27.50, DOUBLEDAY.

“The State of Jones”is based in Jones Countyduring the Civil War. You

can’t have grown up in or lived aroundMississippi long without hearing some-one refer to Jones County as “The FreeState of Jones.” It’s a great subjectand a great idea for a book.

The story enfolds Newton Knight, anantislavery farmer from Jones County.Knight deserted the Confederate Armyand led an insurrection against theConfederacy from 1863 to 1865.

We’ve often heard that the Civil Warwas a plantation owner’s war fought byplanters. Known as strong independentIrishmen, the citizens of Jones Countydecided against it.

Though meticulously researched, thebook is a little rigid in style and lacksan easy Southern flow. The authorsweave in a personalized story usingSouthern slang that comes off a littlecondescending. Knight sounds more likea hillbilly than a man from Ellisville.The authors included a lot of extempo-raneous war information, erring on theside of an academic history book withunnecessary words such as conscriptedand detritus and pestilential.

Sally Jenkins lives in New York City.John Stauffer is chair and professor atHarvard University and lives inCambridge, Mass.

“IN THE SANCTUARY OFOUTCASTS,” BY NEILWHITE, $25.99,WILLIAM MORROW.

As the former publish-er of New Orleans maga-zine, Coast magazine

and Coast Business Journal, Neil Whitehas arguably left his mark from one end

of Mississippi to the other, and notalways in a good way.

“In the Sanctuary of Outcasts” is amemoir of White’s time in federalprison for check kiting. The authormakes a stab at adding new meaning towhite color crime.

The strength of the book is lessabout White and more about the lastleper colony in mainland America,located in Carville, La., on the samegrounds as the federal prison. That partis incredible.

This book describes people and cir-cumstances most of us blindly miss. Thereader will find grace and the extraor-dinary where it’s least expected andwill come away with a reminder of lov-ing your neighbor but not always trust-ing them.

Neil White lives in Oxford.

“HIGHWAY 51:MISSISSIPPI HILLCOUNTRY,” PHOTO-GRAPHS BY GLORIANORRIS, INTRODUCTION

BY RICK BASS, $40, UNIVERSITY PRESSOF MISSISSIPPI.

What do Nesbit, Tillatoba, Duck Hill,Winona, Pickens, Batesville and Cantonhave in common? Highway 51. FromMemphis to Jackson, Highway 51 runsthrough small town Mississippi. The 90photographs that make up this large,color book are simple yet profound.

No text is necessary; the photosspeak for themselves.

Gloria Norris was born in Holcomb in1937, and graduated magna cum laudefrom the University of SouthernMississippi. She moved to New York Cityand entered the literary world and hasnever lost her love for Mississippi.

“Highway 51; Mississippi Hill County”deserves a prominent place on the cof-fee table of all who appreciate genuinerural life.

“HISTORIC PHOTOSMISSISSIPPI,” TEXT ANDCAPTIONS BY ANNE B.MCKEE, $39.95, TURNERPUBLISHING.

Authentic, historic andcaptivating, this book of

photography and text is an enjoyablepictorial history of Mississippi inchronological order. It begins in the1860s and ends in 1976 when GeraldFord campaigned in Mississippi.

“Historic Photos of Mississippi”includes interesting and fascinatingfacts that will both entertain andinform.

Included are the great flood of the1920s, Johnny Carson as a student atMillsaps College and an undergroundnuclear explosion in Lamar County in1964. This coffee table book is a mustfor Mississippi libraries.

Anne B. McKee lives in Meridian.

“GREEDY BONES,” BYCAROLYN HAINES,$24.99, ST. MARTIN’SPRESS.

Just when you thinkyour brain’s about toexplode, here comes a

new installment of Carolyn Haines’Bone series. Always a breath of freshair, protagonist Sarah Booth Delaneybrings mystery and mischief to theMississippi Delta in “Greedy Bones.”Whether you’re already a fan ornewcomer, you’re sure to enjoy thiswork of fiction. It’s hard to tell whowould be more entertaining, SarahBooth Delaney, P.I./actress orMississippi author Carolyn Haines.You can’t go wrong with either.

Carolyn Haines is from Lucedale,and has slid just across the stateline to Semmes, Ala. She teacheswriting at the University of SouthAlabama.

Read any GOOD BOOKS lately?

TEXT BY REBA J. MCMELLON

ADD THESE MISSISSIPPI-CENTRIC BOOKS TO YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST


Glass HOUSESARTIST DONNA WOODS’ HAND-PAINTED

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS DEPICT LOCAL HOMES

ATEXT AND PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE BLOM

An old cedar chest holds remnants of DonnaWoods’ very first craft projects, most likely sal-vaged from Vacation Bible School. When she was13 years old, she painted her first mural on thewall of her cousin’s bedroom, a depiction ofHolly Hobbie, the blue-bonneted little girl char-acter popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. At 50, Woodsis still using her artistic ability to manage herown interior design business, Southern Art, aswell as to hand paint Christmas ornaments.

In her small studio attached to the black andwhite checkered-floor kitchen of her Hattiesburghome, Woods meticulously paints houses, orother images, onto clear glass orbs on commis-

sion. Each house ornament takes her about oneor two hours. She asks her clients to give her 3-4photos of the houses to work from. Woods saysthe idea just came to her before she fell asleepone night about eight years ago.

“I just think the good Lord gave me thatidea,” she says.

Many of her patrons are from church. Woodsbelieves her best advertising being word ofmouth. One year, she said, someone placed anorder for 20 of the same barn. Another customerordered 30 ornaments for her Sunday schoolclass. But mostly, people place orders of theirown homes to give to family members or friends.

44 accent south mississippi44 accent south mississippi

After graduating fromLamar University in Beaumont,Texas with a bachelor’s degreein interior design and a minorin art, Woods moved toNatchez to be closer to theantebellum homes she loved tostudy. Under her mentor andboss, now deceased designerHal Garner, Woods learned alot about historic eras andrestoration of old homes andantiques. To this hands-on edu-cation she attributes her abilityto not only paint homes but thefaux finishing and murals, cabi-net glazes, hand-painted furni-ture, accessories and antiques,house portraits, pen & ink com-missions for personal stationer-ies and such, and ornaments.

“Anything that stands still,

I’ll paint on it. If you stand stilllong enough, I may just painton your face!” she jokes, apewter painter’s palette pinnedto her red shirt.

Woods loves the business ofart.

“There are always newthings in design. New types ofproducts, every person youwork with is new. Every personbrings a new experience, and Ilove people. I love helpingthem,” she says.

In the late ‘80’s, Woods’vocational calling was tested,and she returned to school toget her teaching certificate. Shelearned this was a mistake. Shetaught junior high for less thanone year in Texas.

“I realized the hard way I

did not have the teaching gift. Ihave the talent and skills, butnot for teaching. And that’sOK.”

Shortly after, Woodsreturned to Mississippi whereshe landed a job at HedermanBrothers, a printing company inJackson. She also joinedBroadmoor Baptist Church,where she met her husband,Gary Woods. Another connec-tion she made at church waswith Don Baker, who commis-sioned a painting that Woodssays “put her on the map.”

This job brought back to herlove of old houses.

As an engagement gift,Baker wanted her to paint theWindsor Mansion, a ruinedantebellum home in Claiborne


TO PLACE ORDERS

Contact Donna Woods at(601) 543-0340.

Donna Woods’ orna-ments are available atMain Street Books in

downtown Hattiesburg.Merry Christmas Y’all is

$10, house ornaments are$35, and others are

$16.95.

County, from a Union soldier’ssketch. She was asked to putthe painting on display at anantique show and soon she wasgetting orders for it. She wasable to use her employee dis-count at Hederman Brothers tomake 2,000 prints. Soon, shewas shipping her rendition allover the country and the world,including to Brazil, Germanyand Spain.

In ’95, Woods and her hus-band moved to Hattiesburg,where she worked as a rugsales manager for Anderson,with one of her Windsor printshung above her desk. Abouttwo years later, she was lookingthrough the newspaper, and shesaw the Secret Gallery waslooking for a manager.

“My eyes fell on that ad.Again, I think that was God,”she said.

Slowly but surely, she start-ed cutting days off her workschedule. Eventually, Woodsbecame self-employed full time,shifting focus to her SouthernArt interior design business,and painting Christmas orna-ments.

For this Christmas, Woodsbegan taking orders as early aslast February. In addition tohouse ornaments, Woods haspainted renditions of historicbuildings in downtownHattiesburg, and of the AreaDevelopment Partnership’s dec-orative swan. She is also cur-rently working on an order forthe Hattiesburg visitor’s bureau

with Mississippi on one side,and on the other, the greeting“Merry Christmas, Y’all.”


HOLIDAYS | luminaries VI C T O R I A N

D

Lights

TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSONPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VISIT HATTIESBURG

December would be much darker if not forthe more than 15,000 luminaries that brightenthe Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood for oneweekend each year.

The 33rd annual Victorian Candlelit Christmaswill be held the evenings of Dec. 12 and 13.Events include horse-drawn carriage rides,tours of two historic homes and strolling carol-ers. Entertainment and refreshments will be atthe Walthall Center.

Victorian Candlelit Christmas is a featuredevent of Hattiesburg’s Holidays in the Hub,which includes a Holiday Art Walk at the gal-leries in downtown Hattiesburg. Two trolleyswill circulate on Saturday, offering free rideswith stops throughout the downtown andHistoric Neighborhood districts.

Horse-drawn carriages will offer tours of the115-acre neighborhood, located just south ofdowntown, during the event. Tickets are $5 andwill be sold only at Walthall Center from darkto 9 p.m. both nights.

Homes in the neighborhood date from 1884 to

1930 and include a variety of architecturalstyles, from Victorian, Italianate and GreekRevival to cottage. Residents of more than 400restored homes line their sidewalks and porchrails with luminaries - candles inside paperbags - as well as strings of lights. Some alsoinclude yard displays of lighted figures.

Home tours will be from 5-9 p.m. Saturdayand 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Featured houses will bethe Dunn House Bed and Breakfast, 102 ShortBay St., and Lucius Cottage, 109 Short Bay St.Tickets are $10, which includes both houses,and will be available at the doors and inadvance at Main Street Books. Entertainment atthe open houses will be provided by membersof the Suzuki Strings.

Court Street United Methodist Church, 609Southern Ave., will also host an open houseSaturday evening. There will also be activitiesat Bay Street Presbyterian Church, 202 ShortBay St. and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 317Walnut St., where the church carillon will beplayed.


The event began in 1976 as a bicentennial cel-ebration and a way to showcase the neighbor-hood and encourage new people to move to thearea, which was undergoing a transition. Many ofthe residents then were aging, direct descen-dants of Hattiesburg’s original settlers who werestill living in their old family homes, which werefalling into disrepair.

Barbara and Harry Ward were instrumental instarting the Hattiesburg Historic NeighborhoodAssociation, which sponsors the annual VictorianCandlelit Christmas events. They bought a houseon Walnut Street in 1975 so that Harry, who wasan art instructor at the University of SouthernMississippi, could have a studio. The Wards wentdoor to door, meeting their new neighbors anddrumming up support for the association.

Only a few thousand luminaries were set outthe first year. The votive candles were pur-chased from Sacred Heart Catholic Church,which is located in the neighborhood.

“It was probably mainly on Bay Street andWalnut Street,” said Linda McMurtrey, who setsout six dozen luminaries around her home on

Williams Street. “People saw the candles beingput out that day and they wanted to join in.People were amazed at the impact that kind ofdisplay can make.”

Now, candles are ordered four or five monthsbefore the event. Early on Saturday, residentscollect sand from the neighborhood’s centraldepository, fill white paper bags with sand andcandles, and set them out on their sidewalks.They stay lit until the event ends each night.

Victorian Candlelit Christmas has become atradition for many Pine Belt families.

“I have people come by now and tell me theywent to it as kids and now they’re bringingtheir kids to it,” Ward said. “That’s so heart-warming.”

Even the residents, who put so much timeand effort into setting out the luminaries andlighting them each night, still fall under itsspell.

HOLIDAYS | in the kitchen

HTEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLOTTE BLOM

Holiday entertainment isnothing without food to spiceup the festivities, so we askedseveral local restaurateurs tocontribute their favorite crowd-pleasing recipes.

In this increasingly connectedworld, we tried to include foodfrom around the globe. The fol-lowing are appetizers, horsd’oeuvres or desserts rangingfrom local Southern cuisine toEuropean and Asian. Here’swhat the food pros serve tofamily and friends. Bon appétit!

BEEF NEGIMA

3 pounds beef shoulder1 block mozzarella cheese3 bunches green onionsSalt & pepperTeriyaki sauce

Lay thinly sliced beef (6- by 8-inches) on bamboo mat. Slicemozzarella very thin and lay ontop. Top with green onions. Rolland sprinkle beef with salt andpepper. Wrap in plastic wrapand put in freezer. When frozen,remove and microwave for 1minute, peel off wrap. Cook rollson grill until beef is brown. Cutin 8 pieces and microwave againfor 1 minute under wrap to meltcheese. Serve with teriyakisauce. Makes 12-15 rolls.

“A lot of (people) like it and this isan easy recipe; it doesn’t take a longtime to make like sushi. It’s good forparties.” – Holly Nguyen, SakuraRestaurant, Hattiesburg

OYSTER PATTY

3 dozen oysters chopped(reserve liquid)2 sticks butter3 bunches green onions and alittle fresh parsley3/4 cup flour to make a smallroux to brown5 cloves large garlic, choppedfine1 regular white onion, choppedfine5 stalks celery, chopped fine6 dozen puff pastry patty shellsor phylo cupsParmesan cheese, grated

Brown flour and a little oysterliquid until brown. Add onions,garlic and celery to wilt. Addchopped oysters and reservedliquid and thicken if need be.Add salt and pepper to taste. Fillpatty shells or phylo cups andbake for 20 minutes at 350degrees. Sprinkle with parmesancheese.

“Made at Thanksgiving andChristmas for generations andpassed down from GrandmotherAngeline Diliberto Corcoran (fromPalermo, Italy).” - Chris McDonaldFamily, The Bottling Company,Hattiesburg

PINEAPPLE HABANERO CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 cup onion, chopped3 1/2 cups cooked chicken,diced1 cup celery, chopped1/2 cup pineapple1 jar Robert Rothchild FarmRoasted Pineapple & HabaneroDip1/4 teaspoon saltFeta cheese (optional)Combine all ingredients in abowl.Options: Garnish with an orangeslice or chopped walnuts. Serveon croissant or warm pita bread.Put in pastry cups for a cocktail

C R O W D-P L E A S I N G R E C I P E S

Jennifer McKay at The KitchenTable enjoys preparing holidaydelicacies for her family andfriends.


pick up.“My favorite thing to make yearround is Pineapple HabaneroChicken Salad. It’s great as anappetizer on crackers, wonderfulon a buttery croissant for a lunch-eon, and since it doesn’t have may-onnaise, it’s tailgate friendly. Ilike to add feta cheese, it cuts downthe heat of the habanero if that is aconcern. You can pick up a rotis-serie chicken. The jar of RobertRothchild Farm Roasted Pineapple& Habanero Dip is also good justover cream cheese with crackers.”–Jennifer Mckay, The KitchenTable, Hattiesburg

CAPTAIN’S CHEESE BAKE

1/2 cup mayonnaise8-ounce package cream cheese2 cups grated sharp cheddarcheese2 green onions, chopped6 Ritz crackers, crushed8 slices bacon, cooked andcrumbled1/2 cup Captain Rodney’sPepper Glaze

Mix mayonnaise, cream cheese,cheddar and onions in greasedquiche pan. Top with crackersand bake at 350 degrees for 15minutes. Top with bacon andCaptain Rodney’s Sweet &Spicy Pepper Glaze. Serve withcrackers.

“This dish is so addictive, nick-named ‘Christmas Crack’ because

it’s so addictive and people just gonuts. We know someone’s served itat Bunko, a Christmas party, a tail-gate party or something when wehave numerous requests of where tofind the bottle and recipe …”–Jennifer Mckay, The KitchenTable, Hattiesburg

TRADITIONAL CORN SALAD

2 cans whole kernel corn1 tomato, diced1 bunch green onions, chopped1 teaspoon sugar2 jalapeno peppers, chopped1 small jar pimiento1/2 cup mayonnaiseBlack pepper and salt, to taste

“It is a family favorite. We make itevery year at Thanksgiving andChristmas.” – Bonnie Jackson,Leatha’s Bar-B-Que, Hattiesburg

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

1 cup peanut butter1 3/4 cup brown sugar1 3/4 cup powdered sugar1/4 cup melted butterCombine and form into balls.Chill.Then melt:1 cup chocolate chips1/4 cup butter

Dip balls in melted chocolateusing toothpicks and let harden.

“One of my family’s and friends’all time favorite party and holiday

treat that I can never go withoutare my famous Peanut ButterBalls. They are fast and easy tomake and I have been making themfor years.” - Tara Graham, Tara’sCakes, Hattiesburg

P R E PA R E D B Y A R E A C H E F S



“500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star5-Ingredient Recipes,” byGwen McKee and BarbaraMoseley, and “Best of theBest” state cookbook seriescost $16.95 each. To order,call Quail Ridge Press at 800-343-1583, go to www.quail-ridge.com orwww.amazon.com, or purchaseat local bookstores or CrackerBarrel stores. The publisheralso offers a coupon book withdiscounts on the state cook-books. Call 800-343-1583 torequest a free coupon book.

GGwen McKee and Barbara Moseley are knownas the “Cookbook Ladies” on QVC, where theymake frequent appearances to sell their numer-ous “Best of the Best” cookbooks. They’ve soldmore than 2.5 million copies since they were dis-covered during a nationwide search for uniqueproducts from each state 12 years ago.

“They chose ‘Best of the Best FromMississippi’,” McKee said, referring to one of thefirst books in what is now a 50-book roundup ofrecipes from the best cookbooks published ineach state. “They had a show in Jackson (thatwas broadcast nationally). We sold out in 20 min-utes.”

McKee is editor-in-chief of Brandon’s QuailRidge Press, and she has been appearing on QVCfor 12 years. Moseley, who sometimes appears onthe television shopping channel with McKee, hasbeen her writing partner for 30 years.

Their “Best of the Best” series is carried inCracker Barrel stores nationwide. Their othercookbooks include “Fast & Fabulous Party Foodsand Appetizers,” “Best of the Best From Bell’sBest Cookbook,” “Beyond Grits and Gravy,” andthe Recipe Hall of Fame cookbook series.

McKee founded Quail Ridge Press in 1978 withher husband, Barney. The first book they pub-lished was “The Twelve Days of ChristmasCookbook,” and a 30th anniversary edition waspublished in 2008. McKee and Moseley have alsowritten the Recipe Hall of Fame cookbook collec-tion.

McKee said her goal is to preserve America’sfood heritage, one recipe and cookbook at a time.She and Moseley traveled to each state to findthe cookbooks that they included in each statevolume. The softcover books are comb-bound tolay flat and include photos and trivia about eachstate, as well as 300-500 recipes.

One of their most recent - and popular - booksis “500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-IngredientRecipes,” which is targeted at people who wantto cook but are intimidated by long lists of ingre-dients or complicated steps.

“This book in particular addresses the youngmother who is so busy,” Moseley said.

If you want to entertain this holiday season butdon’t have time for complicated recipes, try thesecrowd-pleasers from “500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient Recipes.”

TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSONPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GWEN MCKEE

C O O K B O O K L A D I E S M A K E I T F A S T & F A B U L O U S

PINEAPPLE CHEESE BALL

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened1/4-cup chopped bell pepper1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained2 tablespoons minced onion2 cups chopped pecans, dividedIn medium bowl, blend all ingredients, except 1/2 cup nuts. Chill 1-2 hours. Form into a ball and roll in remaining nuts. Serve withcrackers on a decorative plate.Optional: Substitute fresh pineapple for canned and shape cheeseball into a pineapple shape (flatten the top, score appropriately,then put the cut-off green top of the fresh pineapple on top.Surround with crackers on a decorative platter.)

SUNBURNED POTATO BITES

8-10 small potatoes, peeled3 tablespoons bacon drippings1/2 cup cornflake crumbs2 teaspoons paprika1 teaspoon saltPreheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush potatoes with bacon drippings.Roll in mixture of cornflake crumbs, paprika and salt. Place ingreased baking pan and bake 40 minutes until fork-tender.

PULL-APART PARMESAN WEDGES

1 8-count can flaky jumbo biscuits1/4 cup butter, melted2 tablespoons parsley flakes1/2 tablespoon onion flakes1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheeseCut biscuits into four wedges. Place melted butter, parsley andonion flakes in bottom of 9-inch pie pan. Wedge biscuits in pan andsprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

FIVE-MINUTE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

1/2 store-bought chocolate cake1/2 cup Kahlua or strong coffee2-3 4-pack packages snack-size chocolate pudding1 12-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed1/2 8-ounce package Heath toffee bitsBreak cake into chunks and layer 1/2 into a trifle dish. Pour 1/2 theKahlua or coffee over this, then 1/2 of the pudding cups, 1/2 thewhipped topping, then 1/2 the toffee bits. Repeat layers.Optional: If you can’t purchase a chocolate cake at the supermarket,this trifle can be made with pound cake, brownies, Twinkies or evenfrozen cake. You can make your own cake and pudding, but makingthe trifle will take longer.

LEMON CHEWIES

1 18 1/4-ounce box lemon cake mix2 eggs1/3 cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon lemon extract1/3 cup confectioners’ sugarPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cake mix with eggs, oil and lemonextract until well blended. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into a bowlof confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly cov-ered. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-9 minutes, untilgolden.

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IN



LIFE IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI | james welch

3 Great ResolutionsAND WHY IT WILL BE EASIER THAN EVER

TO KEEP THEM IN 2010

ETEXT BY JAMES WELCH

Every year, millions of people around the globesomehow pull through the stresses that come withholiday preparation and make it to the fun andlaughter that follows. We plan a huge feast andbuy a lot of gifts. We eat too much forThanksgiving and receive too many presents forChristmas. With our stomachs full and our closetsa little harder to close, we press forward to NewYear’s.

The new year is the time of year when we get thechance to press the reset button. On New Year’sEve we traditionally set our resolutions and onNew Year’s Day we begin to follow them. Some aregold medalists when it comes to crossing thesehurdles and others never get off the bench, but thisyear could be different.

SLOW DOWN AND MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

We have all thought of this one before, even if itwasn’t as a New Year’s resolution. Technology hasalways been intent on simplifying our lives and yetnever delivered. For some reason the plan seemedto backfire, and all those conveniences just hin-dered us further or were replaced by somethingelse equally stressful.

There’s good news, though. Amazing things arehappening in technology and more people thanever are beginning to stay connected through thevarious methods available. By most estimates,millions of people are using some form of socialnetworking Web site. The most popular areFacebook, My Space and Twitter. These sitesallow us to reconnect with friends that wehaven’t talked to in years. This resolution shouldbe easier to keep this year than ever before.

GET IN SHAPEThe problem with getting in shape has proba-

bly always been convenience. We go to workevery day and when we finally head home in the

evening, the last thing that we want to do ishead to the gym.

Now things have changed. Twenty-four hourgyms have sprung up all across the country andhealthy food is easier to get than ever; most fastfood chains even carry healthy food now. I knowlots of people who work out in the wee hours ofthe morning to beat the crowd and have thewhole gym to themselves. So this year can bedifferent. This year, we can do it.

GET OUT OF DEBTThis may be the most important resolution to

stick to in these rough economic times. The opin-ions vary greatly on the best way to handle allthe different aspects of our finances, but I don’tthink you’ll find any experts that can honestlytell you that shedding some of the debt is a badthing. It won’t be easy, but it doesn’t mean thatit’s impossible.

We need to find creative ways to eliminate thedebt that we already have. Clean the house andhave a yard sale. Most of us have lots of thingsall around the house just waiting to be sold, andbargain-hunters are hitting yard sales more thanever. Or you could always try the online marketand sell your stuff for a small fee.

Find new and creative ways to spend less onentertainment. Have a family movie night andeat microwave popcorn rather than go to themovies. Take turns cooking for each other athome rather than eating out. This would also bea great time to break out the old dusty boardgames and show the kids a thing or two.

This is also the time to get organized. Keepingtrack of your spending and income can help youto identify which areas need improvement. Makea budget. This recession won’t last forever, butnow is the time to find the motivation to get outof debt, and organization is the way to do it.

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