Summer Reading Takes Kids, Adults on Science Adventures

Sue Ellen McNabb presents Naturally Sue Ellen program on June 19

 

MOSS POINT -- Summer Reading Program 2014 came to an exciting end Wednesday and Thursday mornings for students participating in Fizz, Boom Read for grade-schoolers and Spark a Reaction for teenagers, and Literary Elements at Ina Thompson Moss Point Library.

The last adult event will be held at 6 tonight featuring ABC Recycling and Michael Pierce.  

                 Mark LaSalle with Pascagoula River Audubon Center presented June 26 program for adults.

3                                                    Dr. Michael Shields, dentist, presents June 5 program
 

The Jackson-George Regional Library System presented the programs based on science as part of the national summer reading program. The adult program was entitled Literary Elements.

 

    

                                         Janet Beatty presented a  June 12 event on Technology for Grandparents. 




Noel Lamey, science teacher at Pascagoula High School, discussed habitats for marine plants and animals, on July 3. 

During their last programs preschool, school-age and teenagers time competing in fun contests and just having a party based in science.


Watch for updates about the adult program and the activities sponsored for children and teenagers. Photographs provided by Moss Point Library personnel.

Moss Point Library Promotes Volunteerism at Cinco de Mayo Party

Moss Point students and parents enjoy Cinco de Mayo celebration May 5 at city library.

Mark LaSalle with the Bacot/MccCarthy Foundation talks about volunteerism to students celebrating Cinco de Mayo at the Moss Point Library. The foundation gives several scholarships each year, and LaSalle said foundation members consider community activities as well as grades when looking for scholarship recipients.

AG, Contractors Board Warn Victims of Post-Storm Dangers

 

Jackson, MS (April 30) —Attorney General Jim Hood reminds recent storm victims of the dangers that come from crooked contractors following disasters and storm damage like the State has recently seen.

Following the cycles of recent storms, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office (MSAGO) and the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) are joining forces to send a message to crooked contractors that bad business will not be tolerated in the Magnolia State and violators will be prosecuted.

“Our thoughts go out to our friends and neighbors around the state who have been impacted by the recent storms,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “As usual after such widespread damage occurs, crooks will be on the prowl looking to take advantage of the misfortune of vulnerable homeowners. Before you hire someone to repair any damage to your property, be sure to educate yourself on how to best protect yourself.”

“We caution storm victims to know who you are dealing with and do not hire the first contractor who comes along,” said Stephanie Sills Lee, Executive Director for the MSBOC. “Take your time and protect yourself against con artists who will take your money and run or from unskilled contractors who will perform careless work.”

Most of the common "after-disaster" scams involve tree damage caused by the storm. Here are some tips to protect yourself from fraudulent tree cutters:

· Check out the company and make sure the company is insured.Contact our Consumer Protection Division or the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi to see if they have complaints against the company.Ask for several local references that are recent of at least one year-old and make sure to follow through on checking them. Look online at reviews of their work. If a tree removal service claims to have insurance, contact the insurer directly and ask them to send you a copy of the tree removal service’s certificate of insurance.

· Take time to shop around and be suspicious of any price that seems unusually high or low. Get written estimates from more than one company and check with friends or family who’ve had tree work done recently to see what they paid and who they would recommend.

· Ask how the job will be done and if they will perform the work according toindustry standards. Pay attention to their “lingo” such as, “topping a tree,” “lion’s-tailing” or “using climbing spikes to prune a tree” If you hear these sayings, the company more than likely does not follow industry standards. “Topping” is drastically cutting back the major limbs of a tree to reduce its size. “Lion’s tailing” is an extreme stripping out of most of the interior branches of a tree. Such practices can injure or kill your tree. Sometimes these techniques will be presented as a way to save money by removing more of the tree at one time. However a tree pruned by one of these methods usually requires more expensive restoration work in the future in order to save it.

· Ask about cleaning up and the debris removal after the job is done. Before the job is started, ask ifthe company will remove the tree from your property as well as cut it down because if they don’t, it could lead to you having to also pay for debris removal.

“Since our honest builders are so busy after disaster strikes, many people are hesitant to demand all of the suggested information for fear of losing the builder,” said Attorney General Hood. “That’s why we are joining forces with the Board of Contractors to offer these guidelines and suggestions to help consumers avoid possible misunderstandings about tree cutters and home repair contractors.”

Some tips recommended by both agencies to protect yourself from crooked contractors:

· Hire only licensed and bonded contractors. Ask to see the license and verify the bond.

· Use Mississippi contractors if you can.

· Verify the contractor’s license by checking online atwww.msboc.us

· Be wary of supposed contractors who come to your home soliciting business. Most reputable contractors will be busy and won’t need to solicit business.

· Always get more than one estimate. Three bids are recommended.

· Request references and talk with those references.

· Put all your terms in writing. A copy of a “model contract” can be found atwww.agjimhood.com

Attorney General Hood reminds consumers that the most effective way to prosecute a fraudulent home repair contractor is by taking photo or video of them. “At the very least, record your conversations when you discuss the terms of the contract and during all transactions. Usually, a con artist will take off at the mere mention of a video recording, but either way, you will have better peace of mind to be able to identify them if they do turn out to be a fly-by-night operation.”

A conviction for Home Repair Fraud could result in up to ten years behind bars. The MSAGO and the MSBOC both intend to prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, anyone caught committing home repair fraud.

In the aftermath of any storm or any other time, if you suspect home repair fraud or think you may have been conned by a scam artist, please contact the Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division at 601-359-4230 or 1-800-281-4418 to file a complaint. Consumers can check a contractor’s qualifications or file a complaint with the MSBOC by calling 1-800-880-6161 or by visitingwww.msboc.us. A copy of the Attorney General’s “Consumer Tips for Storm Victims” can also be downloaded atwww.agjimhood.com. More resources and tips can be found on both agencies’ websites.

 

 

Pascagoula Makes 1 Weird Things List About 50 States

An article on HuffingtonPost.com about weird things in each of the 50 states has been online for a few days, but I didn't read it until today.

Low and behold,  Pascagoula made the list for Mississippi.

Here is the story from Huffington. I never knew.

Mississippi
A "Phantom Barber" once broke into people's homes and cut their hair while they were sleeping.

During WWII, the town of Pascagoula was plagued by a series of mysterious nighttime haircuts. A panic erupted when girls, particularly blondes, would wake up to find part of their hair had been cut, or in some cases, their whole heads had been shaved. The "Phanton Barber" was never caught, so not too much is known beyond a few scattered clues, including a man's footprint found in a victim's room.

You can read the rest of the weird things from each state at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/11/weird-facts-states_n_4869798.html

The Phantom Barber story and more unsolved mysteries are online at http://listverse.com/2013/02/05/10-strange-little-known-unsolved-mysteries/

Pascagoula’s Phantom Barber 1942

In June 1942, after a population boom brought about by the increased manufacturing of warships in the area, the citizens of Pascagoula, Mississippi were stalked by more than the specter of war—a hair cutting phantom terrorized the night.
The man nicknamed the Phantom Barber by newspapers worked in the darkness made more profound by the Army’s blackout regulations. On Monday or Friday evenings, he slit a window screen to gain access to a house, crept inside, and cut the hair of sleeping occupants, particularly blonde girls. Not necessarily one lock or two, but sometimes shearing as much as a full head of hair. He took nothing else from the home except his prize.
He began with two young girls in the convent of Our Lady of Victories, followed by a six year old female child visiting another family. That time, he left a clue—the print of a man’s bare foot in sand on an unoccupied bed in the room. The police were baffled and offered a $300 reward for information. The public was in a panic. Women refused to go outside at night. Men applied for pistol permits. Bloodhounds were brought in to track the bizarre intruder, but the efforts failed. The Phantom Barber continued his hair cutting incursions.
At last, the phantom broke his pattern, or so it seemed. A window screen was slit in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Heidelburg, and the intruder came inside their bedroom. However, rather than cutting hair, he brutally assaulted the couple. Mrs. Heidelburg lost her front teeth and was knocked unconscious, while her husband was beaten with a metal bar. Both survived the attack. Two months later, the police chief announced the arrest of a suspect, William A. Dolan, a chemist, who was charged with attempted murder.
A connection between Dolan and the Phantom Barber came with the discovery of human hair allegedly found near his residence. He continued to deny he was the phantom, and while convicted of the attack on the Heidelburgs—he bore a grudge against Terrell’s father, a judge—was never charged with the phantom’s acts. Since the Phantom Barber never touched his victims other than their hair, it would seem no meaningful tie exists between Dolan and the Phantom Barber, whose break-ins ended as mysteriously as they began.

It's been 39 years since the events of 1942, but it's fasinating history. No doubt, it's bad memories for many Pascagoula residents who lived though the events of that time, especially since the country was already seeing trying times during WWII. Still, it proves that real life is stranger than fiction.

Sold out: Tickets for Taste of Jackson County

PASCAGOULA -- The 6^th Annual Taste of Jackson County is sold out. The fete will be held Feb. 20 at the Grand Magnolia Ballroom. 

 

Yvette Barr, director of membership communications for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, said this year's event is expected to be the "the most successful Taste of Jackson County yet!"

 

Taste of Jackson County features local restaurants and venues at a one-night event complete with live music. The fundraiser showcases dining options available in Jackson County, allowing guests to sample feature items from participating restaurants, according to the chamber's website.

 

The Taste of Jackson County is our way of showcasing the wonderful food that is available in our county," said Carla Todd, IOM, president and CEO of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

 

Participating restaurants for one of the chamber's program of work include:  

 

· Anthony’s Steak & Seafood

· Aztecas Restaurant & Cantina

· Bayview Gourmet Restaurant

· Chocolates & More

· Crazy B’s Coffee & Confections

· Delo's Heavenly House of Coffee

· D'vine Soulfood & Catering

· E. & J. Gallo Winery

· Family Frozen Foods, Inc.

· Hacienda San Miguel Mexican Restaurant

· Jack’s By The Tracks, Inc.

· Mezo’s Juke Joint

· Mosaic Tapas Restaurant

· Off the Hook Seafood & Cajun Grille

· Sarah Sue's Restaurant

· Scranton's Restaurant & Catering

· Tay’s BBQ

· The Shed BBQ Joint

Sponsors for Taste of Jackson County:

Entrée

Ad.In Design

Chevron Pascagoula Refinery

Ingalls Shipbuilding

South Mississippi Living

Hors d’oeuvre

CupitSigns.com, LLC

E & J Gallo Winery

Merchants & Marine Bank

The Sun Herald

À la carte

ACE Party Rentals

Compton Engineering, Inc.

First Chemical Corporation

Grand Magnolia Ballroom and Suites

Gulfside Periodontics

Instrument Technical Services, Inc.

Jason Pilger Hyundai

Jim Blevins, Mayor of Pascagoula

MacLand Disposal Center, Inc.

Mississippi Power Company

Mississippi Security Police, Inc.

Newell Paper Company

Orion Engineering, Inc.

Singing River Federal Credit Union

YOLO Boutique

Media Partner

The Mississippi Press

 

For general information, residents may contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 228-762-3391, email newsletter@jcchamber.com, or visit www.jcchamber.com.

Ribbon Cutting at Photography/Boutique Shop

 

Ribbon cutting on Feb. 5 at Alan Hinkel Photography/ Bridget Blue Boutique, located at 710 Delmas Ave. in Pascagoula. Their phone number is 228-249-9305. (Yvette Barr/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce)

 

Then Came the Slow Thaw After the Big Freeze

From what I hear, another winter storm in headed this-a-way. Well, sort of. Mostly, Winter Storm Nika is expected to blast the Midwest, but some forcast say it could affect parts of the South and East. 

Just think, it was only a week ago that Winter Storm Leon provided South Mississippi and the rest of a very surprised Deep South residents with four days of very dangerous ice, snow flurries and bone-chilling temperatures. Life was interestingly colder for a time, kind of like it is for everyone who lives north of the Mason-Dixon line.   

By the way, where did this name Leon come from, and why Leon?

As those in the Southeast attempt to fight off a rare winter storm, many have begun to wonder about things other than how long they will be stuck in traffic – for example what’s the origin of Winter Storm Leon’s name and when will he crawl back into his cave.
Here’s a primer.
Leon is the Greek word for “lion,” the most famous of which in Greek mythology is Leon Nemeois, a nearly indestructible beast who terrorized the people of Argolis.
To handle matters, King Eurystheus enlisted the hero Heracles who stunned it with a club then threw some UFC style moves on the animal, wrestling it to death. Later, he skinned its hide and made a cape, which by lore was impervious to the elements and also a coat of armor.
(MORE: Winter Storm Leon: State-by-State)
In short, Heracles killed a lion to make the kind of all-weather coat millions of Americans wish they had this week as Winter Storm Leon pelts southern states from Texas to Virginia.
Leon, like other winter storm names, was chosen by a Latin class at Bozeman High School in Bozeman, Mont. Many of the names come from Greek mythology.
http://www.weather.com/news/winter-storm-leon-explaining-name-20140128

Non-travelers took precedence over mobile folks for two days Tuesday and Wednesday. Days when folks were glad to be at home and off the roads regardless of the loss of money for most hourly workers.

Many regretted the economic loss, but compared to the bone-chilling cold and potential danger to life and damage to automobile (and even more more money lost), it was worth it.

Temps eventually dipped into the low teens. In north Mississippi, the gauges registered in the single digits. Something that happened in the early 1980's that this writer remembers. Deja vu again.!  

Coast Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. for 85th Birthday

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI -- Monday's culmination of Martin Luther King Jr. Day marked the 28th year of celebrations that began officially Jan. 20, 1986, three years after President Ronald Reagan signed the national holiday into law.

The much anticipated Coastwide Parade and Battle of the Bands started at 19th Street and 30th Avenue in Gulfport, kicking off at 11 a.m. with some numerous units that included civic organizations, churches, and bands from local high schools and college groups from across the South. Hundreds of other residents spent the day performing community service.

A cornucopia of events marked the week and weekend leading up to Monday's federal holiday, marked by closing of most government offices and an increasing number of private businesses.

Jackson County Celebrates MLK
Sun Herald MultMedia (VIDEO) Jan. 20, 2014
follow videos to see Gulfport parade

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Main article: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Beginning in 1971, cities such as Saint Louis, Missouri, and states established annual holidays to honor King.^[242] At the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King. Observed for the first time on January 20, 1986, it is called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Following President George H. W. Bush's 1992 proclamation, the holiday is observed on the third Monday of January each year, near the time of King's birthday.^[243][244] On January 17, 2000, for the first time, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed in all fifty U.S. states.^[245] Arizona (1992), New Hampshire (1999) and Utah (2000) were the last three states to recognized the holiday. Utah previously celebrated the holiday at the same time but under the name Human Rights Day.^[246]

Attorney General Hood Wants Lawsuit Against Entergy Sent Back to Court

JACKSON, Miss. — Attorney General Jim Hood is asking a federal court to send the State of Mississippi’s lawsuit against Entergy back to state court.

In its recent ruling inMississippi ex rel. Hood v. AU Optronics Corp., the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed with Attorney General Hood’s argument that cases brought by attorneys general to enforce their states’ laws should be heard in state court. The Court’s unanimous holding is significant because it reversed a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which said such cases should stay in federal court.

In December 2008, the Attorney General's Office was forced to file a lawsuit against Entergy on behalf of the state, charging the company with violations of the Mississippi Consumer Protection Act, the Mississippi Anti-Trust Act, Fraud and related claims.

Entergy moved the state’s lawsuit from state court to federal court. Federal Judge Henry Wingate denied the state’s motion to remand the case to state court based on the Fifth Circuit’s decision. On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court held that the Fifth Circuit’s view of the law was incorrect. The state has now filed a motion with Judge Wingate asking him to remand the case to state court in light of the Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion.

“Entergy has already admitted to overcharging Mississippi ratepayers for power,” said Attorney General Hood. “As we argued in our motion to remand, this is a state issue and should be addressed in state court. We think it only fair, given this recent ruling clarifying the point, that we ask the Court to reconsider the remand denial.”

Attorney General Hood has asked Entergy to turn over documents about its business practices to shed some light on the way in which it operates. Entergy has refused every request.

 

Report provided by State Attorney General's Office. Contact Jan Schaefer, public information officer, at jscha@ago.state.ms.us and 601-359-2002.