Several new businesses have opened in Old Town in the first six months of this year, the lion's share of them on the first block of Main.  Meet some of the business people behind this flurry of entrepreneurship.  

story and photos by Ellis Anderson

Closest to the beach is the new Field’s Steak and Oyster Bar (111 Main Street, A).  It’s the newest flagship among the eight Mississippi restaurants owned by the Nicaud family – including Bacchus on the Beach in Pass Christian and Biloxi. 
 
Chef Field Nicaud heads up the new restaurant.  He recently returned from New York after studying at the Institute of Culinary Education and gaining experience in two of Manhattan’s fine dining establishments.  

Nicholas Carter, who has worked for the Nicauds for eight years as their “all around guy” and opening manager, says that the family of restauranteurs has always had its eyes on the Bay.  
 
“It had to be the right space and the right time,” said Carter.  When C&C’s Italian Bistro closed earlier this year, the Nicauds scooped up the location and began redecorating.  Carter said that although it was a beautiful space before, the goal was to lighten and brighten the atmosphere.  

​One C&C’s fixture that stayed behind was the custom brick oven which now turns out flat breads and oysters.  
 
Field’s is open Wednesday for dinner (6pm – 9m, bar opens at 3pm), Thursday through Saturday (11am – 9pm, Friday and Saturday ‘til 10pm) and Sunday, 11am – 2pm for brunch.  
 
According to Carter the food is so special, “some people are coming here twice a day.” 
 
“I might be biased,” he said with a smile, “but I feel guilty calling it just ‘food.’”  

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​A few doors down, Ocean Springs business Marina Cottage Soap Company, opened its Bay location in March.   Owner Vanessa Mueller was met with a warm welcome and has since become a resident of Bay St. Louis.  
 
Mueller carries natural skin care products, catering to those with sensitive skin.  One best seller is her Gneau Gnaughtly Gnat natural insect repellent, voted as most effective by Outdoor Life in both 2014 and 2015. 
 
In the back of her spacious storefront, she’s been working on “The Warehouse,” a new event space that is slated to open this summer.  The venue will be able to host receptions, parties and weddings.  Special events that are open to the public will be ticketed through online sales, with a limited number available.  

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“It’s basically a community driven space, 1700 square feet of fun,” Mueller says. “We want it to be different from other establishments on the street.”  
 
“The city’s been fantastic to work with” during the build-out process and the entrepreneur says she loves living in the warm-hearted town. 

“It’s nice to have people wave and greet me as ‘the Soap Lady,” as I walk down the street, she said.  “Everybody’s looking out for everybody else.  It’s why I wanted to move here.” 

​​Fashionista and owner Chelsea Cure’s new space may be small, but it’s packed with power.
 
“Our concept is to carry clothes that are trendy, but classic – pieces that become wardrobe staples,” said Cure.  “I want designs to be current and fashion-forward, but still feel great and look good a year from now.” 
 
The lines Sage carries also appeal to a wide range of customers. Their denim line, Liverpool, is especially hot, said Cure.  One day recently she sold pairs of the pull-on pants to a 15-year-old and to a 70-year-old woman. 
 
Accessories like Buddha Girl bangles are a big hit as well, since they’re wearable in the water and at the beach and the soft, flexible material doesn’t make noise when several are worn at once. Cure carries gift items like unique candles as well, with more on the way.  
 
While many of her customers are locals, a good number are out of town visitors and boaters who have docked in the harbor. 
 
“We had people in here last week from Australia,” said Cure, who grew up on the coast.  “They love what Old Town has going on. And so do I.” 

​Also opening doors this spring is Salty Soul, specializing in nautical themed clothing, décor and gifts – but with a masculine slant.  
 
Owner Jane Alford’s first boutique, Bay-tique, has become an Old Town anchor over the past several years. Yet, she noticed men twiddling their thumbs while their wives were shopping and realized there was nothing in Old Town to interest them.  The large space at 126 Main became available in April when fellow boutique owner Melissa Hamilton purchased her own building a few doors up.  Alford jumped. 
 
She’s had the idea for Salty Soul years before and went into the new business with plenty of experience and established relationships with quality vendors.  Alford, who designs many of her own products, is also carrying yoga and sportwear.   

​Locals began celebrating when they saw construction work taking place at the historic Creole cottage at 146 Main Street.  While major structural repairs had been undertaken after Hurricane Katrina, the building had been vacant for 14 years. 

Last fall, real estate developer and Kiln resident Harry Fisher began plans to renovate the cottage as a duplex and build an addition.  His first tenants are Jay and Elise Kobs, a contractor and interior design duo.  
 
Jay Kobs hails from Hattiesburg and his wife grew up in Pittsburg.  The couple moved to the Bay from Colorado to be closer to Jay’s father who recently turned 80. 

The couple leased both sides of the duplex so Steel Magnolia Decorating and High Tide Builders, LLC are side by side. They plan to have a ribbon cutting in the near future. 
 
When pressed for a date, Jay laughed. “She’s an interior designer,” he said.  “Until it’s perfect, nobody’s coming in.” 

​The first block of Main ends where it's intersected by Second Street.  From the corner, historic Century Hall beckons, its vast interior home to more than a dozen different shops.

Restored by Vicki and Doug Niolet and Ann Tidwell post-Katrina, the lower two levels have hosted arts, antiques and gift businesses since 2008.  Yet, the building’s third floor remained uninhabitable for years until New Orleans developer/owner Jim McPhaille purchased the building and began work last year.  
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Artist Tami Curtis Guy first opened Tami Curtis Studio in the lower floors of Century Hall last year. Now the well-known Louisiana artist has expanded and added one of the new spaces upstairs as well, where she’ll be able to offer painting classes and group “paint parties.” 
 
Transforming another one of the third floor spaces into a scene from a French living room is Holly McNaughton, owner of Holly House, which offers "imaginative home décor." 
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​Century Hall manager, Susan Peterson, said in July, they’ll be joined on the third floor by Jane Evans Designs, an award-winning artist who works on canvas and in ceramics, focusing on religious and cultural iconography,” according to her website. 
 
On the second floor, earlier this year the Century Hall gallery reorganized.  Managed now by Susan Peterson, the sleek space features contemporary art by some of the region's top talent.  

​Across from the gallery, a new home design store has settled in, Sassy Bird Interiors.  Holly Harrison, a residential interior designer for more than 30 years in Baton Rouge, teamed up with Shannon Stage, also originally from Baton Rouge.  

​Stage and her husband owned a house on Sycamore Street pre-Katrina and built back in 2013.  Now she spends as much time in the Bay as she can and likes to call it “home.” 
 
Stage’s experience ranges from 17 years as owner of a wholesale giftware business to being executive director of a green-building non-profit.  Both Stage and Harrison have a special interest in “creating inspiring spaces that are healthy.”  
 

The two carry artwork, lighting and lamps, pieces for home entertaining, home accessories and furniture. The mix is “lots of fun new things with antiques mixed in.” 
 
“We both believe that spaces should be beautiful to look at, but also healthy places for families to be, “ Stage said.  “That means we pay attention to everything from rugs to upholsteries to make sure they’ve been made using environmentally sound practices.” 
 
For instance, the pair sought out washable cotton cocktail napkins that can be reused.  Durability is important too, as they want the things they sell "to be treasured for a long time.” 
 
As for the name?  Stage says she’s been called “Sassy” for years and Holly’s been known as “Birdy,” so Sassy Bird Interiors was born. 

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

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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.
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“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. 
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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.”
 

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​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.
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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.

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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.

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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.