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HTY Hosts Ribbon-Cutting
HTY, the new developer for the Steeplechase Subdivision, held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 27th. Nathan Yow president, recognized Wes Clearman of Kelly & Associates, Tommy Harrison of Premier Properties, and Mark Cleary of Remax. For additional information contact HTY at 662-234-0928.
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Capturing Ole Miss History
The photogs in question are, left, Dr. Ed Meek at age 21. Ed was suppose to walk and graduate that day but he knew he’d miss a moment in Ole Miss history. He was a student photographer then, and he wanted the shot! The second photographer, on the right, is my father, Jack Cofield. Dad and Ed worked together most of their professional live at Ole Miss. Ed also knew and worked with my grandfather Cofield and was also there to shake my nephew’s hand, Houston Cofield, when he recently graduated from the Meek School of Journalism. Now I work with Ed at HottyToddy.Com. But rather than “Boss,” I think the title I like best is…My father’s close lifelong friend.
Photo from http://section74.wordpress.com/
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City Having Second Thoughts Over Hiring of Standard Parking
A Standard Parking vehicle patrols The Square in Oxford / Photo By HottyToddy.com
Mayor, aldermen looking at plan for long-term solution by next January
The city of Oxford is having second thoughts over its decision to hire Standard Parking last year.
While city officials say the company has done its job as far as clearing up parking on the square is concerned, they appear to have miscalculated the amount of revenue they were supposed to bring in.
Since its hiring late last year, the company has brought in a little over $1,000 in revenue, with the total expenses for the year tallying $200,000.
“We want to give them credit for opening up parking,” Mayor Pat Patterson said in an interview on Thursday. “They’ve provided the capacity, but they vastly overestimated the amount of revenue that they were going to generate.”
Patterson said that while Standard Parking’s contract is for a year, it was also subject to termination after 30 days.
Attempts to contact Standard Parking for a response have gone unanswered.“They’ve been successful in moving people, and a lot of employees now realize that they could get a ticket, so they started going to free parking,” Patterson added.“I think they underestimated the amount of success they were going to have.”
Patterson believes that some of the difference is coming from the first ticket issued being a warning, and those tickets make up a majority of the tickets that are actually given.
“Eighty percent of the tickets are free,” said Patterson. “I think they underestimated the impact of that on revenue.”
While the current revenue for parking is looking grim, Patterson believes that the city will be able to come up with a resolution.
“We’re going to try and have a plan in place by January 1st for a long-term solution, including a parking garage location, design, and timetable for completion,” he said.
“We’re going to have to keep some version of parking enforcement, but we’re not going to go back to chalking tires.
We’re going to revamp our ticketing, and see where that takes us.” –– Jared Senseman, senior journalism major, Meek School of Journalism and New Media
Email Jared Senseman at jrsensem@gmail.com
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Firecracker Bash To Open Local Fourth of July Celebration With A Bang
Photo Courtesy of Leap Frog Program
First annual Firecracker Bash at LYRIC Oxford on July 3 benefits Leap Frog Program
There’s no reason to wait until the Fourth of July to get your 2013 Independence Day celebration off and rolling with a bang.
This July 3rd, true red, white and blue patriots can show their love of country while supporting a worthy cause by attending the Leap Frog Program’s first annual Firecracker Bash.
The event set to unfurl at the LYRIC OXFORD on Wednesday evening promises gourmet catering from City Grocery, music by The Mustache Band, hourly door prizes and the crowning of Mr. and Mrs. America.
It’s just the kind of party that a city in the midst of the summer doldrums needs to put some sparkle into American’s birthday bash says Leap Frog Director Teresa Adams.
“We hope that it will be a fun event. People can come out, have a good time and support our Leap Frog Program.”
Unlike the Firecracker Ball held in previous years, Adams said organizers decided to make the Firecracker Bash a much less formal affair.
“July is too hot for men to get into suits the night before July 4th, so we wanted just a casual celebration.”
Throughout the evening, which runs from 7:30 – 11:30 p.m., guests will be treated to food provided by John Currence and City Grocery restaurant (a whole hog and all the fixings) a silent auction and hourly door prizes.
“Pablo Corona Photography also will have a photo booth set up and will offer pictures for sale,” Adams said.
For the silent auction, guests can bid on a weekend getaway to Pelican Beach Resort in Destin, Florida, a weekend stay at the Inn at Ole Miss, a four-foot by three-foot American flag painted on tin by Leap Frog students, a home brewing class and five gallons of beer, a day on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and catering for 12 from Woodson Ridge Farms, among other silent auction items up for grabs.
The Firecracker Bash promises to start Oxford’s Fourth of July celebration with a bang. Photo Courtesy of Leap Frog Program
Adams said another highlight of the evening would be the crowing of Mr. and Mrs. America, chosen from among the group of volunteers who have raised the most money for Leap Frog, a non-profit, after-school tutoring and mentoring program serving 140 at-risk first, second, and third graders in the Oxford city and Lafayette county schools.
According to the Leap Frog website, “The mission of Leap Frog is to provide a nurturing environment in which “at-risk” students can develop and enhance necessary skills for academic success; build productive, ongoing relationships with adult; and improve their self-esteem.”
Tickets to the Firecracker Bash are $25 each and are on sale at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the Oxford-University Methodist Church, Lulu’s Shoes and Accessories and Oxford Floral.
“There will be a cash bar set up at The Lyric,” Adams said, adding, “We will also sell wristbands for bottomless beer.
“We hope that it grows each year. Summers are dead in Oxford, and most people have the luxury of being off the next day, so we thought it was a perfect time to host the event.”
For more on the Firecracker Bash and the Leap Frog Program, click here.
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Charlaine Harris
Tunica native, Charlaine Harris, is best known for her series, The Southern Vampire Mysteries. The series inspired the HBO series True Blood.
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Faulkner, Grant, Sherman Walked The Isles of Oxford, Mississippi’s College Hill Church
Historic College Hill Church in Oxford, Mississippi / Photo By HottyToddy.com
William Faulkner recited martial vows in the shadow of where both General Grant and General Sherman once stood.
And the local chapter of Campus Crusades For Christ, a world-wide ministry with 25,000 fulltime ministers and 225,000 volunteers, has its roots here.
Photo By HottyToddy.com
College Hill Presbyterian Church is recognized as the oldest church in Lafayette County and for its rich history of serving the Oxford and Ole Miss family.
“We had just 15 members when Jack Oakes became our pastor in 1967. He made a special effort to involve students from Ole Miss, and soon, we had to put chairs in the isles to accommodate the large numbers,” said Sydney Johnson, long-time elder of the historic church founded in 1835.
Photo By HottyToddy.com
“We had so many students that Jack’s wife, Kelly, suggested we do something for the students, so we began holding an annual Sunday dinner on the grounds to honor our students,” Mr. Johnson said.
Century old cedar trees line the south side of the iconic Greek Revival building, and frame the small cemetery behind the church. Both Confederate and un-named Union troops lay buried there along with church members who have died.
College Hill Church still holds an annual dinner to honor Ole Miss students / Photo By HottyToddy.com
“We still have the fall dinner on the grounds to honor our students. Several years ago, we added a spring event that is held each year on the last Sunday before exams,” Johnson said.
“On the 175th Anniversary of the church (held in 2010), we had in attendance that Sunday 15 of the first student members of Campus Crusades,” he said.
Mr. Johnson said that Ric Cannada, retired Chancellor of the Reform Theology Seminary, who now resides in Jackson, was a student at Vanderbilt in the mid 1960s.
“He frequently visited College Hill Church to date Rachel, who he later married,” Mr. Johnson said.
While at Vanderbilt, Dr. Cannada founded Campus Crusade For Christ, which today is perhaps the largest Christian college ministry in the world. Dr. Cannada’s frequent visits to the College Hill Church encouraged Ms. Kelly Oakes to organize 15 students to form the Ole Miss chapter of Campus Crusade.
One of those students was Mrs. Rachel Cannada.
“She was among the 15 original Crusade organizers who attended the 175th Anniversary service and dinner on the grounds,” Mr. Johnson said.
Dr. Cannada’s father founded the Reform Theological Seminary. and a brother, Barry, a prominent Jackson attorney, serves on the Board of Crusade. Barry was president of the Associated Student Body at Ole Miss, graduated top in his law class and was active in Campus Crusade as a student at Ole Miss. He maintains his relationship with College Hill Church as an associate member.
The church is located four miles northwest of Oxford on County Road 102 (College Hill Road). Across the road is College Hill Store, another historic structure now serving as a meeting place for various events. The church continues to serve a diverse group of local members and Ole Miss students.
The church building was constructed in 1846 during the period when laborers were constructing the Lyceum Building which would establish The University of Mississippi. Ole Miss welcomed its first freshman class in 1848. Both the Lyceum and College Hill Presbyterian Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the website, Wikipedia, Union troops of General Grant and General Sherman camped on the grounds of College Hill Church, and it was in this church that William Faulkner was married.
The structure is the oldest Presbyterian facility in North Mississippi and the oldest church building of any denomination in the area. Constructed of bricks fired on site, the building was completed in 1846 at a total cost of $2,809.
Photo By HottyToddy.com
The church’s pulpit, pews and pew gates are the original furnishings.
Minutes of the first organizational meeting held in 1835 are secured in the vault of First National Bank on the Square in Oxford. Just west of the bank is the historic office of the late Phil Stone, now the office of attorney Tommy Freeland. It was attorney Stone who encouraged Faulkner to write.
Across the Square from the bank was located Gathright-Reed Drugstore, when Faulkner’s early manuscripts were packaged in brown wrapping paper by the late Mr. Mac Reed and sent to Mr. Faulkner’s publisher. Gathright-Reed Drugstore is now Old Venice Restaurant, and east of the building is what locals call “Faulkner’s Ally”, a back-way path to the Square that allowed Mr.Faulkner to reach Gathright-Reed descretely.
When Mr. Faulkner died in 1962, the Square closed for the funeral and a black hearse carrying his body slowly circled the Square made famous as the capital of his mythical Yoknapatawpha County.
Photo By HottyToddy.com
College Hill Presbyterian Church is thought to be a setting used by Mr. Faulkner in novels. Union Gen. Sherman burned much of Oxford. Untouched was College Hill Church and the courthouse where Union troops camped. –– Jim Roberts, HottyToddy.com staff writer
Email Jim Roberts at hottytoddynews@gmail.com
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Brandt Memory House in Oxford, Mississippi
Growing up in Oxford, there were a lot of Faulkner kids. But they were not from William Faulkner’s direct line. They were from his brother John’s. John and Dolly Faulkner had two sons. Jimmy and Chooky Faulkner were both well known, popular members of Oxford’s social crowd. Jimmy Faulkner being a writer and historian in his own right and his mother, Miss Dolly, being the great family matriarch for years after her husband passed away.
Another thing about the Faulkners that Oxford folks know is that they always have boys, mostly. In my generation of Oxford kids there was the lone girl, Meg, along with Rusty, Buddy, Burt, Ley and Ramey. I don’t know how many children there are on the next generation down, but I’d figure the Faulkner name is in no danger of fading away.
Oxford has three well known “Faulkner Houses” but it is around this one that the activity and day to day life of the Faulkners of Oxford took place during my time. Memory House, like Rowan Oak, is now owned and preserved by Ole Miss. But no matter what use they put it to or what the sign out front says, for Oxford folks, it will always be Miss Dolly’s house.
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UM Professor Named to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Board
Communication sciences and disorders professor Carolyn Wiles Higdon serves as vice president of finance.
Carolyn Wiles Higdon
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss CommunicationsUniversity of Mississippi communication sciences and disorders professor Carolyn Higdon’s leadership role with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has positioned the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders to be at the forefront of the field’s latest news and research on national and international levels.
Higdon, who was elected vice president of finance for ASHA, will serve her term through 2014. ASHA is the professional, scientific and credentialing association for more than 167,000 members including audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language and hearing scientists.
“[The position] has allowed me to bring topics to the department for discussion that are going to affect training and academic programs at Ole Miss and across the country, giving us an added advantage as we assess our current program and as we plan for the future,” Higdon said. “As a faculty, we have been able to do improved long-range and strategic planning that will benefit all of our customers — the students and clients we serve — as well as the faculty.”
Among the initiatives, the department was able to get an early start to include the “216 license,” a license for students with a bachelor’s degree to practice in schools, which will go into effect in Mississippi in July. Previously, a master’s degree was required to practice in every setting in the field.
For the CSD department, this will mean teaching master’s-level speech-language pathologists how to supervise bachelor’s-level speech therapists, as well as developing new online courses, creating more part-time opportunities for graduate students and improving the department’s retention and recruitment opportunities, Higdon said.
In October, Higdon was among about 75 participants at the prestigious Healthcare Summit, a four-day event that brought leaders in the field of health care and government together to discuss the Affordable Care Act. Higdon also has access to the CSD graduate programs’ accrediting council and multiple external-funding opportunities, as well as new products and evidence-based research portals.
“A board position on an association this size holds strong visibility and credibility when discussing professional issues,” said Lennette Ivy, CSD department chair. “This position affords us an opportunity to showcase the University of Mississippi and the School of Applied Sciences, as well as individual faculty within the department, to Congress and legislators from across the country, as well as other SLPs and audiologists.”
Another faculty member was recognized by ASHA recently. Rebecca Lowe, clinical assistant professor and co-director of the UM Speech and Hearing Clinic, was appointed to the ASHA Audiology Leadership Class.
In addition, UM has a history of presence on the ASHA board of directors. Alumni Sue Hale and Tommie Robinson each served as president, and Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor emerita for university relations and professor emerita of communicative disorders, served as a vice president.
“I feel it is a great honor to follow in their footsteps by being able to serve the members of our association through my position on the ASHA board of directors,” Higdon said. “The University of Mississippi is a weekly word in the ASHA office now.”
Higdon holds a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia as well as an M.A. and a B.S. from Kent State University. She joined the UM faculty in 2000, served as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders from 2002 to 2007, is active in university and department committees and is a consultant to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Mississippi Department of Education. Higdon is a trained mediator, a qualified expert witness in CSD in the legal arena, and she continues her international rehabilitation work. — Ole Miss News Desk
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Leap Frog
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Hotty Toddy at the Beach!
First Southern Airways Express passengers from Oxford landed in Destin yesterday / Photo Courtesy of Facebook
Hotty Toddy! It’s time for the beach!
Southern Airways first flight from Oxford, Mississippi, arrived in Destin, Florida, last night.
Passengers were delighted with the flight and the Southern hospitality.
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Register for OPC Youth Soccer’s Fall Season
Register online to participate in the OPC Youth Soccer League this fall. OPC registration windows are open until July 14 for season opening games starting August 26.
This season’s games will be scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays. Registration is fifty-five dollars per child, and can be done by clicking here.
Public Domain Photograph
If you’re interested in coaching an OPC Youth Soccer team this fall, registration applications can be found here.
For any questions regarding OPC Youth soccer programs or coaching opportunities contact Tiffany by emailing her at tiffany@oxfordparkcommission.com.
This is a news story done by Claude Locke and Mike Ford on the first Faulkner Conference held in 1974. The footage is rare in that it includes the late Dr. Jim Webb, former chairman of the Department of English at Ole Miss and Faulkner author, and Dr. Joseph Blotner (sp). Blotner is very young here but became a giant as a Faulkner biographer. I as director of PR and commissioned Claude (seen on camera) and Mike (behind the camera) to do this story, The Faculkner conference is now known around the world, but this was the beginning. We did this on 16mm film and sent it out to TV stations from the PR Office. Mike Ford is now a major producer of films for networks including National Georgaphic and History Channel. Claude is now a major producer of television commercials. Mike and Claude are collaborating with the Library of Congress to do a 1974 to present Oxford-North Mississippi television special. Hillary worked with them and will be Associate Producer. I have attached a picture of she and Michael. Ask her for some details.
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Lafayette County’s Early History Reflected In The Life Of The College Hill Store
Historical College Hill Store in Oxford / Photo By HottyToddy.com
College Hill Store was built in 1836 and is perhaps the oldest commercial establishment remaining in Lafayette County. The store was built the year Lafayette County was founded and the year of the Chickasaw Indian Cession.
“General Grant and General Sherman are said to have camped 30,000 Union troops at College Hill, and it seems logical that they probably visited the only store in the area,” said Connie Alford, proprietor of the historic store.
“Originally the store building was two stories, with a doctor’s office on the second floor. When the top floor burned, it became a single story building,” she said.
A Chair on the Porch of College Hill Store / Photo By HottyToddy.com
College Hill Was Early Community
The historical building is where citizens, Civil War soldiers and Indians all must have shopped, where farmers gathered during the great depression, and newly inducted soldiers passed going to WW I and WW II. Now, College Hill Store serves up bottled soda and candy to school children, and hosts receptions for weddings and dignitaries such as Senators Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran.
“College Hill Store was purchased by the late John White, who for many years was director of the Physical Plant at Ole Miss. When he died, he left the land to the local fire department and the building to Ole Miss. The plan was for Ole Miss to move the building, but it was determined that the building was in such bad shape it could not be moved,” said Ms. Alford.
“Ole Miss gave the building to the Oxford-Lafayette County Historical Society, and I leased it from the Society for as long as I maintain and keep up the store,” she said.
Colonial Bread Screen Door / Photo By HottyToddy.com
Restoration Saves Store
Ms. Alford’s brothers, Sammie and Charles Durham, helped her restore the store to its original condition. Inside are a wide range of period antiques, including a 14-foot long seed counter, now used for buffets, antique tools and glass, and a wood-burning stove that has become the center where community members gather for conversation during cold winter days. The store is immediately across the street from College Hill Church.
“The thing that amazes me is to actually sit in the store and think of all the people who have come through its doors. Scenes from Faulkner’s ‘Intruder In The Dust’ were filmed here and Mr. Faulker’s nephew, Chuky Falkner, told me that the first commodities given out in the county were from this store. Mr. Faulkner came out to help, and he and his friends also met here to go fox hunting,” she said.
Ole Miss Hall of Fame winners pose for a 1971 yearbook photo on the front porch of College Hill Store. / Photo Courtesy of Ole Miss Yearbook
Located next door to the Regents School, the store caters to the nearly 180 kids who attend the school while hosting receptions and dinners throughout the year.
Student Group in College Hill Store / Photo Courtesy of College Hill Store
“Teachers bring students over as part of their history classes. And, during the 1890s and early 1900, court was held here and Ole Miss law students came out to observe,” Ms. Alford said.
“We have groups from Kentucky and other states who come to the College Hill Store,” she said.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the school year, and is open the same hours, only on Thursday and Friday, in the summer.
“People love to be photographed on the front porch. It’s a special place to enjoy and recall our early history,” Ms. Alford said.
College Hill Road, which runs in front of the store, is part of the trail native Americans traveled as they moved to reservations in Oklahoma. Chief Toby Tubby, one of the county’s largest land owners before the Chickasaw Cession, is sure to have frequented the store, residents say. He was killed in a knife fight and is believed to have been buried in the region.
Interior of College Hill Store / Photo Courtesy of College Hill Store
Across the street, behind College Hill Church, are buried both Confederate and Union troops who may have also frequented the store. –– Jim Roberts, HottyToddy.com staff writer
Email Jim Roberts at hottytoddynews@gmail.com
