The harbor, currently at nearly 100% capacity, will be expanded to allow more people to visit our town by boat.
​
- Story by Lisa Monti

 
Fortin said the harbor has experienced growth in occupancy and fuel sales since it opened in June 2014. The popularity of the harbor among boaters has brought customers to downtown restaurants, shops and galleries and has spurred new business growth and expansions, city officials said in making the expansion announcement.

According to the city’s economic projections, the harbor generates approximately $30,000 per year in Mississippi sales tax and $9,000 annually in state fuel tax. In the last fiscal year, it also generated $314,000 in slip fees, $75,000 in utilities and $298,000 in fuel sales.  Transient dock age and ice were another $5,000.

The addition of Pier 5 with 80 percent occupancy will generate an estimated annual revenue of $81,192 for the harbor and $5,683 in State sales tax revenue, according to a statement from the city.
 
The last major project was adding a wave screen to reduce the wave action inside the harbor.
 

​​ 
Hancock County committed $1 million to build the new pier, which is expected to cost around $1.5 million. Tideland funds will make up the difference. In announcing the partnership with the city, Board of Supervisors President Blaine LaFontaine said, “The expansion of Bay St. Louis Harbor will continue to invest in our downtown and assets at a time where we are seeing unprecedented growth and tourism in Bay St. Louis.”
 
Fortin said the majority of slip holders are from out of state, with most of those from Louisiana. Others are from Texas, Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee. “It’s their getaway. It’s almost like a second home for a lot of folks. Some people get a cabin in the woods or a house on the beach, and some people get a boat.”
 
Boaters stay overnight or for three to four weeks. Many will boat over to a barrier island or to Biloxi casinos. Recently a few boaters left their Bay St. Louis slips and headed for visits to Florida and the Bahamas.

A new book released this month features inspiring stories from 25 successful women on the Mississippi coast.  Meet the four from Hancock County who wrote chapters in "Unboxed."
- story by Lisa Monti

Writers include Hancock County’s own Holly Hester Lemoine-Raymond, Angelyn Scardino Treutel Zeringue, Brandi Stage, and Ellis Anderson.

Publisher Dorothy Wilson says that although she believed the finished project would be inspirational, even she was surprised by the completed manuscript, once all the stories were assembled.  
 
“I knew this had the potential to be powerful,” says Wilson. “I had no idea how powerful until I read the final version before it was sent to the printer. I was overwhelmed and so, so empowered and encouraged to see what these women had overcome. I thought I knew them all, yet discovered so much more about them.”
 
All four of the Hancock County writers say that the project helped them grow further by pushing them to record their pivotal life experiences.
​

“When Dorothy Wilson asked me to be a part of this project,” says photographer Brandi Stage, “I realized that 25 women sharing how they learned to soar was a great recipe for inspiration to others. It was an honor to be included with such amazing women on our MS Gulf Coast.
 
“I had learned to soar early on.  My mom that taught me I could do anything I set my mind to do.  I believed her, even in the midst of trials and tribulations that are inevitable in life.”

Speaking for all the writers, Zeringue says, "It's our hope that this book might, in some small way, inspire and encourage others to excel.”

​"Each woman's story is deeply personal and compelling,” ​Anderson says. "I feel very fortunate to have been included with this group and the project." 

The paperback is available for $19.95 and half the proceeds from the pre-sale will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center and the Women’s Center for Nonviolence. To pre-order, go to www.unboxedbookproject.com
 
The first coast-wide book signing was held June 13 at 5:30pm at the White House Hotel in Biloxi. Several of the authors spoke, followed by a group book signing. 
​

MS Southern Rail Commissioner Knox Ross on why the funding was needed and how passenger rail service on the coast is critical to future economic development.  

- story and photos by Ellis Anderson

According to a statement issued today by the office of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker – a long-time advocate of passenger rail service on the coast – the Mississippi senator believes that “Reconnecting the Gulf Coast to our nation’s passenger rail network will increase access to jobs, provide an alternative to highway travel, and improve quality of life in the region.”

​Southern Rail commissioner Knox Ross agrees. 

​“Restored passenger rail service will spark economic development along the coast,” said Ross in a telephone interview this afternoon.  “The Mississippi coast towns are already set up for it.  They have stations downtown, with vital and attractive downtown areas that have been the beneficiaries of substantial investments since Katrina.”  

​Knox said that presently while there is some limited public bus transportation on the coast, there is nothing that runs between all the coast cities or between the coast and New Orleans.  This puts the coast at a distinct disadvantage, because in the field of economic development, “the ability to get around is becoming more important all the time.” 
 
“If someone on the coast needs to go to the New Orleans, they have to get a ride or drive themselves,” Ross said.  “People in the Mobile ship building business are renting vans to transport employees across the coast and the New Orleans.”
 

​
​Ross also noted that the coast is missing out on an important tourism market.  
 
“750,000 people from other countries around the world are visiting New Orleans each year,” he said.  “Many would love to take a day trip out of the city and see more of this country, but they can’t get to the coast unless they rent a car.” 
 
The Southern Rail Commission will help put together operating agreements with Amtrak and between Amtrak and CSX Railroad (which actually owns the tracks).  Amtrak estimates the improvements will be completed within 24 months.  

When it begins service, two passenger trains will run from New Orleans to Mobile each day – one in the morning and one in the evening.  A morning and evening train will also run from Mobile to New Orleans daily.  
 
“We’re grateful to Senator Wicker and his team – and all the other supporters who understand what a difference rail service will make,” Said Ross.
​

Colorful architectural replicas are at the heart of Jenise McCardell and Mark Currier’s business, one that's found a special place in the heart of Bay St. Louis. 
- Story by Lisa Monti

Celebrate with Mark and Jenise this Second Saturday, June 8, from 4pm - 8pm at Clay Creations/Gallery 220, 220 Main Street

​Clay Creations, located in back of the gallery, is where countless pieces of architectural renderings are handmade and painted. The creations capture images of beloved homes, churches, schools, restaurants, bars and businesses in New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast, not to mention special commissions of houses and businesses for special occasions and gift giving. ​

​All of the pieces are sculpted from white clay, hand-painted, and fired in kilns right on the premises. Over the years, thousands of Clay Creations nostalgic pieces have been exchanged as gifts, stuffed into Christmas stockings, decorated gift packages and walls and otherwise made their way to the hands of many a grateful recipient.
 

​Clay Creations and Gallery 220 are longtime favorites for everyone who visits Old Town’s shops and stores and both hold a special place in the open door tradition on the Second Saturday ArtWalk.

​That’s because after Hurricane Katrina roared through in 2005, Jenise and Mark were the first business to revive the Second Saturday tradition just a few weeks after the storm. With all of the destruction and disruption caused by Katrina, residents saw the return of Second Saturday as a welcome relief from the chaos and a chance to reconnect with the community. The couple even turned the monthly Second Saturday into a weekly gathering at their studio for several months.
 

​Not surprisingly, in 35 productive and successful years, Clay Creations and its owners have been featured in news stories, on television and even in a mini-documentary about Bay St. Louis.  Click here to see it on Youtube!
 
Jenise said that after 35 years, she’s seeing a new generation of customers collecting their own memories from among Clay Creations’ colorful inventory. “They’ll say, ‘My mom collected these,’ so they want to have their own memories for their children.”
 

 
Since the storm, the Old Town business district has been steadily revitalized, Jenise said, and there is more traffic in the area, which is good news for the city. “It’s so exciting to see all this vibrancy happen,” she said. “Everybody got on board and did it together.”
 
Jenise said Clay Creations is “going forward” in the future. “It’s been a really great ride, and we have enjoyed it. It’s our passion.”  

A restored PT boat made by Higgins Industries in New Orleans will give history buffs a rare chance to go aboard one of the craft credited with winning World War II. 

- Story by Lisa Monti

Andrew Higgins designed his wartime boats based on boats he built for the oil and gas industry. The most famous of the PT boats was skippered by John F. Kennedy.

​ 
Skip Higgins notes that when President Eisenhower met his biographer, the late historian Stephen Ambrose, his grandfather’s name came up. “Eisenhower told Ambrose, ‘I see you’re from New Orleans. Did you know Andrew Higgins? He’s the man who won the war for us.”
 
Ambrose, who lived in Bay St. Louis for several years, later co-founded the sprawling World War II Museum in New Orleans, which recently opened a permanent exhibit called “Bayou to Battlefield: Higgins Industries during World War II” that highlights the company’s history and accomplishments. It includes videos, artifacts, text panels and oral histories featuring former Higgins Industries employees.

​ 
Skip’s father, Roland, was one of four Higgins sons who worked in Higgins Industries under his grandfather’s leadership.  Skip was just nine when Andrew Higgins died but he has a slight memory of his worldly grandparents entertaining guests from all over the world. Their friends included Argentina’s president Juan Peron and his wife Eva.
 
Andrew Higgins was one of the first equal opportunity employers in the South, according to his grandson. “If someone could do the job well, it didn’t matter if that person was a woman or a person of color or disabled,” said Skip.  “They were hired and paid the same as every other worker.”
 

​The shipyard also offered a nursery and a school for those who needed child care, along with maternity leave, unheard of at the time. At the peak of Higgins Industry’s production, nearly 30,000 people were employed, “around the clock.”
 
Skip said the PT boat coming to Bay St. Louis, USS Sudden Jerk, saw combat and was fully restored by hundreds of volunteers who devoted thousands of hours working on it at the World War II Museum. They searched worldwide to find original parts for the restored craft.
 

Jane Alford’s new store on the 100 block of Main Street fills a gap by offering sportswear and men’s clothing with a nautical flair. 

- story and photos by Ellis Anderson
​

Alford says she actually came up with the Salty Soul concept several years ago and began designing products, like t-shirts and hats, to offer in Bay-Tique. Two factors fueled her decision to open the new retail location.
 
 In December, the only local retailer of sportswear – Green Canyon Outfitter – closed.  A few months later, one of Old Town’s prime locations became available when bijoubel owner Melissa Hamilton purchased a historic building a few doors down from her 126 Main St. location and moved into her new digs. 
​

The 126 Main Street building is owned by chef Nancy Moynan, whose restaurant, Lulu’s on Main, is located in the back.  She’s a long-time neighbor and friend of Alford’s.  The two women began kicking around ideas, asking themselves what was missing in Old Town.   It was obvious to both that since Green Canyon closed there was no place that specialized in men’s apparel.  

“We batted it around and said, ‘Let’s do it!’” Alford says.  

Alford is going into the new venture with the experience, the network and the know-how of a seasoned retailer.
​ 
“Bay-Tique has been very successful,” she says.  “For each of the seven years we’ve been in business, we’ve met or exceeded our goals.” 
​

​Alford attributes the success of Bay-Tique to several factors.  

“Hard work, great employees – like my manager, Karen Grumbine – and the growth of Bay St. Louis in general. I’m a big believer in the Bay.” 

The guests in Alford’s Carroll House Bed & Breakfast, a few blocks away, also help by giving her feedback on what they like about Bay St. Louis and what they’d like to see in the future. 

The entrepreneur laughs when asked to name her favorite thing about the new shop. 
​
“When the ladies come to shop at Bay-Tique, we can send their husbands across the street,” she says with a smile.  
​

Nate and Mandy Smith reclaimed a Depot District commercial space and made it their family's homey new headquarters.

- story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson

The Smiths have been fans of Bay St. Louis for a long time and visited the city often, making friends and enjoying their favorite spots on weekends. They decided to just make the move permanently, first renting a home on Court Street before finding their place across from the Depot.
 
Friends Mark and Mignon Kellar of Carriere along with their daughter Ashley and son in law Brent Shuck bought the bottom floor as a rental that Ashley will manage.
 
The two-story unit was never occupied, so the owners were starting from scratch. “There was no electrical or plumbing, just the shell,” Nate said. “Nothing was in place.”
 
The Smiths enlisted unabridged Architecture to create their new home.
 
“It's always inspiring for us to work with clients who have a different way of seeing the world,” architect John Anderson said. “They came to us with a vision of turning an unused commercial building in a shuttered historic district into a pair of residences for a tight knit group of friends and family.

"Of course that sort of commitment also brought with it technical challenges in the adaptation of the existing commercial structure, but those challenges are what we used to give the design its unique character.”
 
Nate is the outpatient pharmacy supervisor for the VA’s Gulf Coast district and Mandy is a physical therapist for the USM Children’s Center. They have two children. Nate calls their new location “a pretty unique area,” close enough to walk to Old Town but on the quiet side with less traffic.

“We walk everywhere and we’ve got a giant park I call our yard. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”
 
A high priority for everyone was improving the Blaize Avenue facade, Anderson said. “The existing balcony was set into the building and poorly constructed, so we removed it and designed a projecting balcony with a generous canopy over the sidewalk similar in character to the neighboring buildings."

"A fresh coat of paint, a simple, crisp color scheme and carefully composed new windows combine for a new façade that reflects the owners’ progressive thinking and fits into the historic district.”
 
He added, “The existing building was on the small side given the needs for two families, their growing children, and friends from all over the state clamoring for weekend visits, so our priority was to capture every cubic foot of volume and put it to use.”
 
For the Smiths, the architects designed a sleeping loft for the kids over the master bedroom. A glass and steel garage door opens the master suite to the living area and gives access from the living areas to the front balcony during non-sleeping hours.
 
Said Anderson, “Downstairs we created a ship-like arrangement of sleeping quarters with a private master bedroom and an adjacent bunk room for kids and adventurous visitors."

"We squeezed in storage, showers and laundry into odd spaces under the stair, and there was even room for the owners to create a signature bar element (keeping with the theme of the neighborhood), dubbed “The Low Commotion.”
 
Not to be outdone in the humor department, the Smiths have dubbed their new home at 138 Blaize Avenue “A Blaze of Glory.”
 
The Sunday soiree open house will be May 19 from noon to 2:30 pm. 

Hattiesburg residents with a connection to Bay St. Louis join forces for a unique tailgate party.
​
- Story and photo by Lisa Monti
​

​The three friends decided to create an event to celebrate the Hattiesburg-Bay connection and started planning last fall in an Old town restaurant. They based their idea on the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park, which was held for years as a Big Apple celebration of all things Mississippi.

​​They put together a plan and on the afternoon of April 27, the grounds of the historic depot will be the setting for “The Burg in da Bay.”

​It will be an informal party for “people who appreciate the Bay and its atmosphere and personality and peacefulness,” says Carroll, who owns real estate offices in Hattiesburg and Petal. She says she finds a sense of peacefulness “when my car heads south. It’s like an entirely different world.”
​

​Carroll is an unabashed fan of the city which she first visited on a date with her future husband, Ricky, a builder. “My heart is in Bay St. Louis,” she says. “It’s just so laid back, for one. And it’s got the beach, Old Town, the character. It’s got a special air to it and there’s no place like it on the Coast.”
 
Ka, a retired nurse, and husband Larry, a hospital administrator, started visiting the Bay together with some close friends who had a camp before Hurricane Camille. They bought their own camp in 2004 and now come down every weekend and love making new memories with their grown sons, their families and friends.

​“We just love the proximity to New Orleans and the town itself and the friendly people,” Ka says.
 

The organizers are keeping this first event simple, like tailgating - but without the game. People are encouraged to bring their own food, drinks, tables and chairs and spend a few hours enjoying each other’s company. Kids can enjoy playing lawn games on the depots grounds.
 
They are getting the word out about “The Burg in da Bay” through emails, social media and word of mouth. They’ve made contact with about 100 people and are hoping for a good turnout plus good weather. If the interest is strong enough, the event will grow accordingly.
 
For more information, go toThe Burg in da Bay Facebook page.
 
The Burg in Da Bay
April 27, 2019  
2-6pm
Historic Depot grounds
Bay St. Louis

You know it’s beach season when The Pineapple sets up shop at the Washington Street Pier in Bay St. Louis.  
- story and photos by Lisa Monti

Sean saw an opportunity to spend time in the Bay by applying to become the county’s beach vendor. He started out three years ago with kayak, paddle board and chair rentals and last season he added the food truck.
 
“Last season we really started to get some momentum, with people looking forward to us being out there,” he said. The crowds swell as the weather warms up and schools let out. “It’s pretty packed down there. I’m impressed with the amount of people on the beach.”
 
Sean says he enjoys talking with his customers at the window of the food truck while taking their order for a cold treat or a snack. “The majority are from New Orleans but I’m surprised at how many international visitors are coming through for the weekend. There’s an amazing number of foreigners,” he said.
​

​The food truck, 18 feet long and 8 feet wide, is fully equipped with a sink, cooking equipment, an ice shaver, coolers and freezers. Sean says the morning set up is “pretty intense” and takes a good hour to unlock the beach chairs, set up the umbrellas, get the rental equipment ready and start prepping the food. But the crowds are worth it, he says, and every month there’s a holiday weekend to bolster the crowds on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. As the summer winds down, The Pineapple goes on a Friday to Sunday schedule through September.
 
The Pineapple
Washington Street Pier, Bay St. Louis
601-941-2182
thepineapplebsl@gmail.com

Offering a menu that changes daily, eat-in dining, and take-home meals, local caterer Tara Davis is sizzling with fresh ideas at the new Savage Skillet restaurant.
​
-story by Lisa Monti, photos by Ellis Anderson  

​A week’s worth of Savage Skillet breakfast and lunch menus are posted on social media at the beginning of each week. There are also Grab & Go items to eat in or take out and retail food items from Mississippi and Louisiana. 
 
Another new twist is the pricing: the breakfast and lunch menus have two daily options, one under $10 and the other around $10.
 
At last Sunday’s friends and family feeding, the food coming out of the kitchen practically shimmered with freshness: Spring mix salad with citrus dressing, perfectly cooked flank steak with homemade sauce, wraps packed with pork loin and veggies, tangy-sweet tomato and bacon jam bruschetta and pulled pork topped with house-made pineapple salsa. ​

Everything we sampled - including the roasted fruit, amazing hummus and creamy pimento cheese - showed that Chef Tara and Savage Skillet are raising the bar locally on fresh menu offerings.
 
Chef Tara is from Hattiesburg and first visited the Bay area with her family. “I always loved it and intended to come back to the area when the time was right.” She went to culinary school in Texas where she cooked professionally and earned a sommelier certification. She’s also worked on farms, in vineyards and breweries, food trucks and high-end restaurants.
 
She eventually moved to Bay St. Louis in October 2016 and for the last two years has been in the catering business under the Savage Skillet brand. She intended all along to open a restaurant, she said, “and here we are.” The catering business operates alongside the restaurant at the corner of Highway 90 and Bouslog across from the Post Office. She has four full time and one part time employees helping her.

 
Breakfast at Savage Skillet consists of various tacos (a tortilla filled with breakfast ingredients ) and house-made salsas - plus some weekly specials. Prices start at $3 and go to $5.95. The lunch menu has two items, from $5.95 to $11.95. Recent selections were flank steak with a caprese salad and tomato-bacon jam bruschetta or Quinoa-shitake soup and plum-ricotta or buttermilk chicken bruschetta. 
 
Savage Skillet stocks a cooler and freezer with prepared foods from $3 to $11. Items change weekly, but some are always available including soups, fruit salads, green salads, veggies, wraps and lasagna. The tasty variations of chicken salads also are always on hand.

The Savage Skillet name comes from Chef Tara’s philosophy that no kitchen functions properly without a big skillet. It also reflects a combination of her classical training and extensive experience with a love of off-the-cuff cooking. 
 
But don’t look for anything deep-fried. “Everything you can do to food, we do it, we just don’t fry. It’s not my cooking style and also there are lots of places to get good fried food.”

Savage Skillet 
1248 C Highway 90
Bay St Louis
228.344.3017
https://www.savageskillet.com
 
Storefront Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday
6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
 Breakfast 6:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
 Lunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This popular Ocean Springs-based business will open a new location in Old Town Bay St. Louis later this month. 
- story by Lisa Monti, Lisa Monti's Notebook 

Mueller said she’s toyed with the idea of expanding for about a year and thought Bay St. Louis would be “a perfect spot.” Now, she says, the two Marina Cottage Soap stores will be like bookends on the Coast.

The Bay St. Louis location will have a full retail store in front plus a large space in back to host events where you can learn how to make lotions and other bath products while enjoying live music. Think date night, birthdays or girls night out. “We can’t do that in Ocean Springs because of limited space,” she said.

Mueller has chosen two local nonprofits - Ruth’s Roots and Starfish Cafe - as beneficiaries as a way of paying back for Marina Cottage's good fortune. “They are two very special places and we want to do fundraising for them,” she said. 

Marina Cottage Soap on Main Street will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Follow the new Bay St. Louis location progress on Facebook and Instagram.

Lisa Monti is a veteran journalist who writes and edits for the Shoofly Magazine.  She also publishes her own blog, Lisa Monti's Notebook, with Bay St. Louis building reports, agendas and more.  You can subscribe for free. 

Seven years ago, entrepreneur Melissa Hamilton opened her first small shop.  That business has grown exponentially and is now moving into a permanent home of its own.  
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson

​In its most recent renovation, the building was set up as a duplex.  For more than a decade, one side has served as a gift shop and gallery specializing in garden art, Twin Light Creations.  Twin Light owners Pam Collins and Joy Panks have lived in the stylish one bedroom apartment on the other side of the building. 
 
Hamilton is moving bijoubel into the shop side of 136 Main and will use the apartment side as a vacation rental.  Off the large covered porch in back, a studio space will become the new home for the Joan Vass shop.
 
Hamilton says she’s been shopping for a permanent shop location to purchase since she began her business seven years ago. 
 
“I knew if I was going to stay in business, buying would be an investment for my future,” she says.  

​Hamilton had looked at 136 Main when Collins and Panks had put the building on the market several years ago.  However, she didn’t make an offer and “put it out of my head.”
 
Over the Christmas holidays, Hamilton needed a ladder to hang Christmas decorations and went next door to 136 Main to borrow from her neighbors.  The casual conversation turned serious when she discovered the building was still for sale.  Hamilton and her husband made an offer and closed the sale in the end of February. 
 
The shop area at 136 Main is 1100 square feet – the same amount bijoubel currently occupies.  The move will begin right after the March 9th Second Saturday Artwalk and be complete by the end of March.  Hamilton doesn’t plan on any down time whatsoever. 
 
Hamilton expects the central Old Town location of the building and its history to keep the vacation rental filled.  Listed as the Angelone House on VRBO, reservations can be made starting in the middle of May.

​“The first time I walked in the building, it felt right,” Hamilton says.  “It’s got a historic great vibe and we’re definitely planning to add to it.
 
“Buying the cottage is the right move for me and my husband,” says Hamilton. “With the growth the town is having, it’s a prime time to have a business here.  We’re very excited about the Bay’s future.  I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
 

A new pub menu in the evening and new offerings for breakfast and lunch prove this restaurant's team is always open to fresh ideas.
-story by Ellis Anderson

For instance, debuting on the breakfast menu are Avacado Toast and Prosciutto Toast, joining the already popular cast of egg breakfast plates, frittatas, Pulled Pork and Grits, and Chicken & Waffles.  ​
​

​However, the biggest “new” at the Mockingird is the evening Pub Fare menu.  It’s offered Thursday through Saturday evenings from 5pm until closing (during the Second Saturday Artwalk each month, the pub menu will start at 2pm). 
 
Alongside the classic Mockingburger (still only $10 with homemade chips) and veggie Garden Burger, three different tacos take front and center stage.  They're all served up on a special hybrid tortilla made in New Orleans from 60% corn and 40% flour.

​ The two meat versions feature pulled pork drizzled with homemade expresso barbeque sauce, and grilled chicken with the ‘Bird’s own pico sauce and cheddar, topped with sriracha sour cream.  

​The meatless variety is just as hardy, filled with Garden Burger makings.  Order one taco for $3, two for $5 and three for only $7. 

​Can’t decide?  Try a $12 taco and beer flight and you’ll get one of each taco, paired with three 5oz servings of local beers like Lazy Magnolia’s Southern Pecan, Chandeleur’s Freemason and Mighty Miss’s American Pale Ale.  
 
If you’re just in the snacking mode, dive into the “still crackling” pork rinds fried up fresh in the kitchen. In addition, loaded French fries, pretzel bites and a meat & cheese board provide savory accompaniments to the adult beverages co-starring on the menu. ​
​

 
All drinks and house wines on the evening menu are $5, with pitchers of beer available as well ($15). Warm weather favorites are the Lushy Lemonade (spiked with vodka), Mimosas and the Mockingbird’s secret-recipe Sangria. The unforgettably named (and delectably tasting) Tequila Mockingbird is a mixture of rosemary honey, rosemary tequila and blood orange juice.  

Naturally, coffee drinks rank high on the menu.  A Bird Brew Martini blends cold brew coffee, vodka and vanilla.  One of the most intriguing libations offered is an Irish coffee made with Jameson’s, Baily’s Irish Cream liquor and a nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee called Bright-Eyed Nitro.  

​According to the ‘Bird’s operation and marketing manager, Whitney LaFrance, the relatively new cold-drip product is made in Ocean Springs.  The infusion process makes the cold drip taste creamier, without the addition of any dairy. 
 
LaFrance and Mockingbird general manager Laura Hurt have both worked at the Mockingbird since it first opened 13 years ago, in August 2006.  The two may be managers now, but regular customers still use their original titles: Coffee Goddesses.
 
“We’ve been here so long, the Mockingbird is much more than just a restaurant to us,” LaFrance said. “We have a really fantastic team too.  Everyone [who works] here cares about the community and the people we serve.”

LaFrance said the café loves to change things up from time to time to stay current.  Fresh ideas are sometimes offered by customers, but most originate from staff members.  The entire team enjoys traveling and scouts out adventures in eating wherever they go.
 
“We all enjoy talking about new ideas we’ve found and brought back to the Bay,” she said.  “It’s great watching those ideas skyrocket here at home.” ​
​

The Budweiser Clydesdale horses parade through Old Town during the Second Saturday Artwalk - with a colorful contingent of locals lending a Bay St. Louis flair.  We've got the story, the NEW parade route and a nifty map. 
- story by Lisa Monti

​The parade route starts at the Depot and heads to Union Street, turns onto Second Street to deMontluzin where it turns west to Beach Boulevard and right on Court Street to return to the Depot.
 
The majestic Clydesdales are always the favorite stars of memorable Super Bowl commercials. The working team made the first Budweiser delivery by horse to President Franklin Roosevelt in the White House and they distributed beer in this fashion for decades. The route on Second Saturday will include deliveries to restaurants and bars in the "old-fashioned" way.
 
To keep Second Saturday accessible to all, the streets will not be barricaded for the parade. Instead, there will be officers posted on every corner as the parade passes.
 
Organizers say everyone is encouraged to welcome this tradition of Americana to the Bay to enjoy the monthly Second Saturday Artwalk and the amazing Clydesdales, in one unique and memorable combination.

Lisa Monti's got the mouth-watering story on a new restaurant that's opening on Main Street this spring. 
- from Lisa Monti's Notebook 

Restaurateur Jourdan Nicaud, Field’s brother, said this will be the first restaurant the 23-year-old Field will be opening. It doesn’t have a name yet but “the goal is to open up around the beginning of April,” Jourdan said.

He said Field has been studying and working for the past two years in New York where he attended the Institute of Culinary Education and worked at the storied 11 Madison Park and La Nacional. Just this week Field worked with Jose Garces in the Iron Chef’s Philadelphia restaurant.

Jourdan Nicaud said the new restaurant’s steaks will be aged in house and hand cut and sell for $20 and up. Field is working on the menu’s specialty oyster recipes and Jourdan said he hopes to serve locally harvested oysters.
​
Jourdan owns Charred, a steakhouse/oyster bar in Ocean Springs, Bacchus on the Beach in Pass Christian and Biloxi, and Fill-Up with Billups breakfast/brunch restaurants in Biloxi, Jackson, Oxford and one opening next month next to his Hotel Pass Christian.

You can easily subscribe to Lisa Monti's Notebook blog on its home page! 

The first episode of “Inside Out with HL Raymond Properties” is set to premiere January 13, 2019.  Get the inside scoop from producer Holly Lemoine-Raymond, find details on the Premiere Party (Jan. 12) and check-out the show's schedule. 
- story by Ellis Anderson

Watch the thirty-second trailer for Inside Out

Like many popular home shows, Inside Out invites viewers into upscale houses for video tours.  But Lemoine-Raymond has added an interactive twist:  viewers are shown three exterior views of the houses and three interiors. The viewer has to guess which ones match up, which they’ll be able to do online with Facebook. ​

​Lemoine-Raymond says that working with the HGTV crews inspired her to find creative new ways to sell property on the coast and led to the production of the series.  She assembled her own production crew who wrote, filmed and edited the first episodes over the past six months.  
 
Twelve episodes will make up the first season of Inside Out.  Six have already been produced.  Later in the year, six more episodes will be completed.   The most expensive house that’s being featured is nearly a million dollars, with the least expensive in the mid-200 dollar range.  

​Each episode ends up with a short DIY segment by Lemoine-Raymond, or a real estate tip from one of her guests. ​While the properties featured on Inside Out are all HL Raymond Property listings, the broker says the entire Mississippi coast should benefit. ​

“The series and its companion social media campaigns give us an opportunity to introduce this area to new audiences,” said Lemoine-Raymond. 
 
The broker does double-duty on Inside Out, acting as both the show’s host and director.  

​“I’m there in the cutting room for every single episode,” she said.  “It’s so exciting to see the vision come to life.” 

The Premiere Party will take place on Saturday, January 12, 5pm - 8pm at Dan B's Restaurant, 109 S. Beach Boulevard, Bay St. Louis.  Meet cast and crew while seeing a sneak peek of the first episode that will air the following night. Dr. Rock Band will perform after the party.  Donations for Friends of the Animal Shelter will also be accepted. 

After an initial dampening of spirits, a favorite Bay St. Louis  holiday happening gets another chance on Saturday, December 15th! 
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson

So on Sunday, when organizers tossed out the idea of a reprise on the 15th, the response of participating merchants and restaurants was an overwhelming “yes.” 

Old Town Merchants Association president, Yuki Northington explains the unusual repeat of the event. 

“The Second Saturday Artwalk's been happening for nearly thirty years,” says Northington.  “And the December one is always a family favorite.  People come to shop local, eat out in the restaurants, take in the decorations and visit with neighbors.  It’s an experience that you can’t get in a big box store or a mall.”

​“So many people were disappointed the bad weather crushed it this year.  And our shop and restaurant owners – who depend on the December event to help get them through the winter months – were upset too.  
 
“So, we thought, why not do it again?” 
 
December 15th seemed tailor-made for the event.  The only other community event scheduled is the Live Nativity at the historic depot grounds, which starts at 7pm.  The play was produced last year by the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and the Music, Arts & Practicality (MAP) children’s program and drew a large crowd.  
 
Northington says the second Second Saturday nests perfectly with the depot performance.
 
“People will be able to shop around Old Town in the afternoon, enjoy an early dinner and end the day at the depot grounds,” she says.  “Doesn’t get more hometown holiday than that!”
 
The merchants group is also working to schedule carolers for the evening of the SECOND Second Saturday (The Shoofly Magazine will post more details as they become available). 

Antique Maison  
December Hot Spot! 
111 North Second Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-466-4848

Bay-Tique
125 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-344-3043

Bay Books (open until 6pm)
131 Main Street #2
Bay St. Louis
228-463-2688
 
bijoubel Boutique
126 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
601-463-2494
 
Bizzee Bee
111B Main Street
Bay St. Louis               
228-467-1104
 
California Drawstrings
216 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-463-2124

Century Hall
Eight shops under one historic roof 
112 S 2nd St
BSL
504-810-7772
 
Gallery 220 
220 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-466-5347
 
Green Canyon Outfitters
108 S. Beach Blvd G
Bay St. Louis, MS  39520
228-344-3108
 
Joan Vaas - Off Broadway
 124 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
601-463-2494
 
Magnolia Antiques 
200 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-467-8170
 
Serious Bread Bakery
131 Main Street
Suite D                      
Bay St. Louis          
228-547-5075

Smith & Lens Gallery
December Hot Spot!
106 S. Second Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 254-6006
 
Social Chair 
201 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
228-466-585
 
The French Potager
213 Main Street
Bay St. Louis, MS
228-364-3091

Wild Gypsy 
131 Main Street 
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 
​228-596-7330
 
Twin Light Creations
136 Main St
229-469-0011
 
 

Plastic trash barrels have been transformed by student and local artists, thanks to a new program that's being officially unveiled in Bay St. Louis, Wednesday, November 7th.  
- story by Lisa Monti

The litter containers - whose only adornment are the BSL initials - are being turned into showcases for art reflecting the Gulf Coast, according to Don Siebenkittel, the city’s code enforcement officer who is coordinating the mayor’s art project.

“All the barrels are being painted by local artists from youth organizations and local schools,” he said. “Most of the schools have art programs which are awesome, and these litter barrels are going to look fabulous.”
 ​

Some barrels will bear inspirational messages or school spirit shout-outs, but most will follow the Gulf Coast theme with original renditions of crabs, fish, boats or other coastal characteristics and inhabitants. None will be used to advertise businesses, though.

Adult artists in the community have also volunteered to take on the painting of a barrel. 

Siebenkittel said he’s enjoying getting out and working with the artists, along with his duties as the city’s code enforcement official, a job he's held less than a year.  But it's been an enormously busy one:  more than 800 properties have been cleaned up under Siebenkittel's watch.

So far about 30 litter barrels have been painted and will be placed along Beach Boulevard and Main Street. “Our goal is to have 100 of them by the end of the school year,” Siebenkittel said.
 
The public will get a look at the first collection of painted barrels when they are unveiled Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at City Hall. They will be placed around town starting the following week.
 
Siebenkittel hinted that the project might be expanded to making rain drums or other environmentally friendly assets for the city.

​“There are so many different environmental and educational ways to use the barrels,” he said.

One new commercial building and an addition to one of the oldest buildings on the coast have been approved by the BSL Historic Preservation Commission, with construction slated to begin soon. 
- story by Lisa Monti

Plans submitted to the Bay St. Louis Historic Preservation Commission for their Oct. 8th meeting show the proposed development at 128 Main Street with space for a restaurant and six boutique-sized spaces for lease.  The HPC approved the plans for the new building design.  

The project goes next before the Planning and Zoning Commission and then the city council for approval. 

 “We hope to start in 60 days and be ready for spring,” Fisher said.
​
​

Fisher is also awaiting a building permit to extend the rear of the building on his property at 146 Main at Gex Street, across from the Courthouse. When the work is done, Fisher will divide the building in half and make the space available for vacation rental and/or retail.  

The historic cottage, built in the 1840s, was home to "The Light," a small local newspaper in the mid-1900s run by Jeannette Carmichael.  Carmichael owned a pet monkey that became a community celebrity.  Residents eventually dubbed the cottage "The Monkey House."  Later the building served as law offices. 
​

In the mid-90s, Shoofly Magazine publisher Ellis Anderson purchased the building and renovated.  Anderson, a silver-smith who opened her first studio and gallery in the New Orleans French Quarter in 1984, opened the second location of Quarter Moon Gallery in the Main Street cottage.  The gallery was twice named one of Southern Living Magazine's Favorite Shops in the South. Anderson operated the gallery from 1996 until 2005, when she sold the building. 
​

A mid-60s addition in the rear of the Creole cottage was torn down post-Katrina.  While the building was gutted, stabilized and raised off the ground, it has been vacant since the hurricane. 

​The new addition that was approved by the BSL Historic Preservation Commission in September adds another eight-feet to the rear of the building. 

Fisher said the 146 Main Street property is getting a good bit of attention from the curious public.  The developer thinks he’s gotten more calls about the building than he’s ever gotten about any of his projects.  

​“We’ll be ready to go as soon as we have the permit in hand,” he said.

Editor's Note:  Former owner of 146 Main Street, Ellis Anderson, is working on a story about the "Monkey House."  She's looking for copies of "The Light" and stories about Mrs. Carmichael.  If you can help, please contact her at publisher@bslshoofly.com

This second annual music festival on November 9 & 10 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds kicks it up a notch this year with a stellar line-up of some of the region's favorite performers. 
- story by Ellis Anderson