Autumn is perhaps the best season to appreciate the beauty and environmental significance of coastal Mississippi, and some of the unique places – and wildlife – that make our area special.
 
- story by Dena Temple
- photos by Dena Temple (unless otherwise attributed) 

East of Gulfport and Biloxi we traverse a 4-mile elevated roadway over the Pascagoula River delta. Below is the largest undammed river in the lower 48 states. In 1974, the Nature Conservancy and other conservationists rallied to bring 35,000 acres of the Pascagoula River watershed under public protection.
 
This led to a river corridor presently buffered by almost 70,000 acres of public and private conservation lands. The Nature Conservancy today continues to monitor and maintain the condition of the Pascagoula River Watershed for wildlife and future generations (read more about their conservation efforts here).
 
Just beyond the elevated roadway is Exit 68 for Moss Point. A brown sign confirms that this is our exit for the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, just a few minutes down the road.

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Their small parking area is bordered by a fence hand-decorated with egrets welcoming visitors to the center. It’s lovely, but more interesting is the unusual pavement in the parking lot. A grid of black plastic circles keeps the pea gravel paving material at bay.
 
An interpretive sign provides fascinating information on the use of this and other “pervious” or permeable paving materials, which help reduce runoff and allow the groundwater to recharge. Our lessons begin here in the parking lot!
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The Center is located on Rhodes Bayou, which drains into the Escatawpa and Pascagoula Rivers. Exhibits focus on the ecosystem of the Pascagoula River watershed, and the site extensively uses native plants, removes invasive species, and incorporates structures for wildlife. If you have or want a home wildlife garden, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here.
 

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The leisurely stroll from the parking area to the Center leads us down a former trolley path of the Pascagoula Street Railway & Power Company, which ran from 1900 to 1925. Today, a replica of the trolley line ticket booth contains historic information about the trolley and the area’s lumber history.
 
Further down the path is a “Nature Play” garden, where children ages 8 and under get to explore the natural world through play.
 
Under a large oak, we find Center educator Suzie Trott conducting “Toddler Tuesday.” She is surrounded by about 15 little ones and their grownups. The kids are shy at first but by the end of story time, most are yelling out questions and squealing with delight at every right answer. The weekly program, geared toward children ages 1-4, includes a science lesson, a story, and playtime to connect the youngsters with nature.
 
Atop a flight of stairs is the Center. Just four years old, the striking, elevated wood structure features front and back “porches” with comfy rockers. The porches overlook marshland and meadow, and time spent in a rocker enjoying the sounds of nature must be very pleasant, indeed. The rockers were made possible by donations from local families and businesses.
 

 
Just inside the double doors is a welcome desk and the smiling face of Andrea Belcher, Outreach and Facilities Associate. Her job this morning is answering questions for visitors, but she is also responsible for managing the Center’s art gallery. The gallery, which features exhibits that change every six weeks, currently features “Extreme Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Air.” Artists’ receptions are held to allow the public to meet the artists. The gallery (and the entire facility, for that matter) can be rented for weddings or other special events.
 
Center manager Susan Stachowski oversees daily operations at the Center and develops programs and activities for nature lovers of all ages. She is particularly proud of the Center’s programs for children. “In season, our Children’s Garden really connects kids with the outdoors,” she explains. “They plant the seeds and watch the plants grow. A few weeks ago they dug up potatoes. They were amazed that potatoes came from the ground!”
 

​Another of Susan’s programs also is geared toward attracting younger enthusiasts, but in a slightly different way.
 
“Our hummingbird festival was a great success,” she says, “especially Hummingbird Happy Hour. Through social events like this, and our quarterly Birds and Brews meetup, we hope to engage young adults and get them involved in birds and conservation.”
 
Like many birdwatchers, Susan is clearly hummingbird-crazy, as evidenced by the 22 hummingbird feeders behind the Center.
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The Center also features a gift shop with the usual assortment of field guides, t-shirts and stuffed animals. Of note are beautiful bird houses made by local artist Pete Floyd, whose work can be seen at the Peter Anderson Arts Festival in Ocean Springs (Nov. 2).
 
Other exhibits inside the Center’s main room include aquariums containing turtles, snakes and other small animals; several taxidermy exhibits, including a bobcat; a children’s play area; and an engaging Pascagoula River Watershed diorama.

​The lower level of the Center (outdoors) features a picnic area (which can also be rented), a children’s garden, nature trails through a hummingbird garden and wildflower meadow, a boardwalk through wetlands, and a dock and observation platform on Rhodes Bayou. Water activities include kayak rentals and a two-hour boat tour for $30 (run by a private operator; reservations required).

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After thanking Susan for her wonderful tour of the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, we set out on a peaceful 20-minute bird walk on the property and casually discover 17 species of birds, including Bald Eagle, White Ibis, Anhinga and Summer Tanager. Wow!
 

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Two excellent options exist for lunch after a morning at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center, and the first is just around the corner.
 
Our first “B” is Burnham Drugs, located at 5001 Main Street. This was a recommendation from Susan Stachowski at PRAC. “It’s an old-fashioned soda fountain,” she explained, “and the food is great. They have burger specials on Tuesdays, too!”

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From the outside, one would never know that food was being served inside this drug store, so this is a true “hidden gem.” The windows of Burnham Drugs show a nice assortment of gift items, consistent with what you would expect to find in a large pharmacy.
 
But the front doors might as well be a portal to the past, because inside is a true ‘50s luncheonette / soda fountain. Stools wrap around a curvaceous counter over black-and-white checkerboard floors; here, patrons pass the sugar and the local gossip. If diners are lucky enough to score one of the five booths, they are treated to a tasty breakfast, burgers, hot dogs or milk shakes. The only thing missing is a gum-cracking waitress.

 
But – curses – today the counter and booths are filled to capacity, so it’s on to the other Plan “B.”
 
About ten minutes’ drive from PRAC is Bozo’s Seafood Market, located at 2012 Ingalls Avenue in Pascagoula. Its dreary, grey exterior belies what waits inside; only the endless cars coming and going like worker ants at an anthill give any indication that something great is happening inside.
 
Once through the doors, though, Bozo’s goes from drab to a cheery yellow, and the fun begins. A friendly cashier at the door guides new patrons to the order counter, which is fairly well hidden in the back of the restaurant next to the pickup window.
 
Options include a long list of poboys, sandwiches, dinners, baskets (fried or steamed), homemade gumbo and salads. Shrimp in all its forms is the order of the day – after all, this is shrimpin’ country, and what diners are eating today was swimming yesterday.
 
You really can’t make a mistake here; Bozo’s is recognized as one of the top 15 seafood restaurants in Mississippi, and one of the top 20 seafood dives in the country.
 
Once an order is placed, diners return to the friendly cashier, order drinks and pay the tab. Then it’s time to snag a table and wait for your name to be called.
 
There are a few conventional hi-top tables along the far wall, but most patrons opt to sit at the long tables in the center. These unique tables have saw-cut holes every few feet, so diners can peel-and-eat their luscious shrimp, then toss the shells away down the holes.

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In the back of the restaurant is a clean, well-lit seafood market, where patrons can order shrimp for the next big game either raw or steamed to order. There are lots of fresh fish, whole and fillets, for sale as well. Over the pickup window is a one-of-a-kind, handmade sign advertising their signature poboys. For those who like folk art advertising, this sign is the real deal.
 

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After grabbing the Styrofoam-wrapped goodness at the pickup window, the peeling and feasting begins. Prices are reasonable and portions are huge, and no one leaves Bozo’s hungry. For example, the steamed shrimp basket ($9) includes a mound of (plain, mild or spicy) shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage, potatoes and cole slaw. Fountain drinks can be refilled as needed.
 

 
Once you’re satisfied, a quick trip to the rest room is needed to wash away all evidence of the unbridled gluttony that just took place. Now it’s off for our afternoon adventure.
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Heading west on I-10 from Bozo’s Seafood Market, it’s just a few miles to the entrance of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. The entrance road winds its way through longleaf pine savannah to a modest visitor center.
 
A ranger volunteer is ready at the entrance with a greeting and an introduction to the refuge with a 12-minute movie on the history of the region and the importance of the refuge. After that giant lunch, resting while watching a movie sounds pretty great.
 
There are six subspecies of Sandhill Cranes in the United States; three are migratory, and three are non-migratory. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane is non-migratory and is therefore dependent on finding suitable habitat for food and nesting. It found that habitat, the wet, longleaf pine savannah, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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Over time, these prairies of grass and pine have been lost to man-made pine forests for logging, and clearcutting for residential development. So much habitat was lost - in fact, only 3% of the original wet pine savannah remains – that by the early 70s, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane population plummeted to just 30-35 individuals. 
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In the mid-70s, World War II veteran and National Park Service wildlife biologist for the Gulf Coast Region Jake Valentine, Jr. started a movement to preserve the savannah habitat for the Sandhill Cranes. In fact, the Mississippi Sandhill Crane was one of the first species to be protected under 1973’s Endangered Species Act, and this 20,000-acre Refuge was the first to be created under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. This is the last parcel of wet pine savannah in the region.
 
The protection of this important habitat, along with human help with improving reproductive success, has grown the Sandhill Crane population to around 100 birds. In fact, most of the current population were either hand-raised or descended from hand-raised birds. Still, their low numbers give the Mississippi Sandhill Crane the dubious distinction of being the rarest bird in North America.

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The ranger tells us that, while Sandhill Cranes are usually not seen at the Visitor Center, two birds were spotted in the fields earlier in the day. (If you like to bird-watch, you’re used to the phrase, “You just missed it!”) Park rangers lead guided tours into the Refuge to areas where the cranes can be seen; these tours are held Wednesdays and Saturdays November through February. He also shares that the refuge winters about twenty percent of the world’s population of the secretive Henslow’s Sparrow.
 
There are short nature trails near the refuge headquarters which meander through some of the denser areas of pine, grasses and wildflowers, past a bluff overlooking Bayou Castille. Beautiful vistas reveal themselves around every bend, especially as the sun lowers in the sky and shadows lengthen in the late afternoon.

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The Visitor Center closes at 3 pm but the park is open until dusk, so we continue our walk. Birds and butterflies scoot past, and little by little, attention turns from the wide vistas to the details at hand: beautiful plumes of grass with pink, smoke-like tassels that wave in the wind; wildflowers like asters, blazing star and narrowleaf (or swamp) sunflowers; the carnivorous pitcher plant; and tiny butterflies that flutter by.
 

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It is then, when the silence is only broken by the rattle of the grasses in the wind, that one can imagine hearing the wingbeats of a butterfly, or the shrill trumpeting of a Sandhill Crane in the far distance.

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As the trail ends and the day grows old, birds become more active. Bluebirds cavort and chase insects. Brown-headed Nuthatches pull seeds from the cones on the pines. A lone Palm Warbler bobs its tail and flits about. And a Blue Jay imitates the call of a Red-shouldered Hawk, for no reason other than, it can.
 

Waveland Alderman Jeremy Burke shares details of three exciting upcoming events in town.

The parade coordinator asks that veterans complete a parade entry form or contact her at kristentusa@gmail.com or (228) 209-7399.  Parade entry forms are available at Waveland City Hall and Bay Books (131 Main Street, Bay St. Louis).
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​Waveland's Ground Zero Museum will hold its Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 23. The day begins with a pancake breakfast from 7:00 am until 9:00 am. The cost of the pancake breakfast is $5.00 per person and is sponsored by the Waveland Civic Association. 

The Waveland's Ground Zero Museum Christmas Bazaar will be held from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Products offered include candles, jewelry, books, art and ceramics, just to name a few categories. A lunch will be available for purchase with food provided by Chappy's Rum Kitchen. 

Vendor spots are full. For more information about this event, contact the Waveland Ground Zero Museum at (228) 467-9012.
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I hope to see everyone on Coleman Avenue on Friday, November 8, between 5:00-8:00 pm for Waveland Food Truck Friday. Coleman Avenue in front of Studio Waveland will be closed to accommodate the food trucks and allow you to set-up a canopy tent, table and chairs if you choose.

​Waveland Food Truck Friday admission is free and open to the public. Food and drinks can be purchased through the food trucks. The Waveland Civic Association will have a table set up selling beer, soft drinks and water.
 
Waveland Food Truck Friday will have musical entertainment, thanks to the generous sponsorship from the Silver Slipper Casino.
 
Use the hashtag #downtownwaveland on your social media post so everyone can see all the good food and the great time you are having.

Next Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting
Wednesday, November 20th at 6:30PM

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots"  Bodega (111 Court Street) and Social Chair (201 Main Street). Read more about these featured businesses below! 
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- stories and photos by Anne Pitre

Each month, two businesses are spotlighted and designated "Hot Spots."  Read about the November Hot Spots below! 

​Bodega
111 Court Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 363-1290
Website
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Bodega in Old Town Bay St. Louis is a dream come true for residents and visitors alike. Conveniently located only a stone’s throw from the Beach on Main and Court Streets, you’ll find everything you need under one roof.
 
A November Hot Spot on Second Saturday, Bodega is a unique and inviting oasis to start your Old Town adventure. “When I first bought the building, I honestly had no idea how the many facets of the business would grow and unfold,” said owner and developer, Kevin Jordan. “The one thing I did know is I wanted to create a place that would be like no other on the Coast.”
 
And, his customers agree, he did just that.
 
“It’s the perfect place to relax and unwind,” said a Bodega regular, Gloria Bernard of Coldwell Banker Alfonso Realty.
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 Today, Bodega is home to Bodega Adventures, Bodega Spirits and Liquor, Parrot Head Bar and Grill and Loft Yoga. First a bank, then offices to the City and the Hancock Chamber, the stately, historic building at 111 Court Street is conveniently located across from the City’s Public Garage offering free parking.
 
As you enter Bodega, you almost expect to see Jimmy Buffet himself sitting at the bar as the sounds of bohemian music draws you in. Once inside, you’ll feel right at home as you’re greeted by a friendly staff who step up to serve you a cool beverage of your choice at the Parrot Head Bar and Restaurant.

Chef Rickey Peters, a veteran restaurateur, is a star attraction at Bodega with tantalizing daily specials and specialty sandwiches, tapas offerings, sliders and a few sweet thangs.

Locals have their favorites like the French dip, or homemade shrimp remoulade and chicken salad. But, no matter what you fancy, you’ll find authentic New Orleans style cuisine for lunch and dinner right here at Bodega.

 
A new addition to Bodega is Bodega Spirits and Liquor. Tucked away under the palm trees on Court Street, it is a welcomed surprise, giving restaurants, visitors and locals a quick way to grab their favorite wine and spirits. And if they don’t have what you want, just ask the manager Larry Main and he’ll gladly make a special order just for you.
 
The Loft on the second floor at Bodega is a welcomed retreat for yoga classes and private meetings and parties. The balcony overlooks Main Street with views of the Bay, offering guests a private setting in the heart of Old Town.

Whether you are an experienced yogi or attending your first class, the inclusive Loft community offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere with some of the top licensed instructors on the Coast providing guidance on strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, breathing, and awareness throughout your yoga journey for all levels. Single drop in classes start at $15 with advance reservations.

 When planning your vacation to the area, look no further than the staff at Bodega. They can direct you to a sister business: GulfView Properties. Owned and managed by Jordan, they offer 11 premier vacation rentals in three locations: Bay Saint Louis, New Orleans and Covington, Louisiana.

And, once you’ve made it to the Bay, the staff will give you local tips on where to go and help you get there by renting you whatever you need to cruise in style from golf carts and bicycles to kayaks or paddle boards.

“Simply put, Bodega has one goal in mind: to relax your mind, body, and spirit,” said Jordan. “We would be honored if you stayed with us.” 
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Just call (228) 363-1290 to get your adventure started. For more information go to www.bodegabsl.com for email us at hello@bodegabsl.com. For vacation rentals go to www.gulfviewproperties.net or call (228) 344-3004.

Social Chair
201 Main Street
Bay St. Louis
(228) 466-5853
​Website

If you’re looking to make a splash and find the ultimate conversation item for your home or your wardrobe, Social Chair is the perfect place to find it. From the festive and sparkly to the ultimate in Southern elegance, their inventory runs the gamut of all that is fabulous.
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To a first-time shopper, the energy is tangible. You will walk into this store and gasp, laugh, covet, and be in awe of its creativity and inspiration. Each piece in the store is expertly curated by owner, Yuki Northington.

Founded in 2006, Northington aimed for Social Chair to fill the need for people to find unique and elevated decor as they rebuilt or restored their homes. The store mostly carried home furnishings and antiques in its early days. Some furnishings can still be found there, but the focus of the store is now mostly on accents and accessories – both for the home and for the wardrobe.

“With Amazon on the rise, we set ourselves apart by offering real customer service,” said Northington. “We know our customers and can offer recommendations. We always offer complimentary gift wrap and exclusive items that they just can’t buy anywhere else!”
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One thing is for sure – Social Chair is the headquarters for women with exceptional style who love a little pop of sparkle... or a BIG pop of sparkle. Their jewelry lines have something for everyone at all price points and include the ever-popular and locally made Helen Marie line for important gift giving. For those who may be prepping now for Mardi Gras, they also carry gorgeous tiaras and crowns.

Social Chair is also a must-see for Christmas and holiday decor! They pride themselves on their holiday style and have earned a reputation for being the place to go if you’re looking for something with that wow factor. They have had their trees up since Cruisin’ the Coast – so they are ready for you to come find something special for yours.

Perhaps the best part of shopping at Social Chair are the original items created by Yuki herself. She creates beautiful gifts and souvenirs featuring her original artwork depicting Bay St. Louis and its landmarks, among other items.

Yuki is indeed a woman of many talents and leadership. Her hard work and steadfast dedication to the community have earned her the title of Mississippi Magazine’s favorite shop twice over, multiple mentions in Southern Living Magazine and appearances on HGTV’s Design Star series.

​She has also been recognized as an Outstanding Citizen by the Hancock Chamber of Commerce, and is the current president of the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club. It’s clear that her creativity, energy and passion for what she undertakes is embodied in her business and is what makes Social Chair an experience as well as a place to shop.

“I love Bay St. Louis and try to help make this a place that others want to visit and return to again and again,” she said. “I am blessed with the best employees in town, and our customers are extremely loyal to our local shops.”

Come experience it for yourself on Second Saturday, Nov. 9. They will be serving refreshments, giving away door prizes and offering Hot Spot discounts on select lines.

​As if these weren’t enough reasons to stop by, the St. Stanislaus Marching Regiment will be playing from 4-6 pm. You can also shop there any day of the week! Their hours are 10 am-5 pm Monday–Saturday, and 11 am-4 pm on Sunday. 
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From planning to cleanup, The Wedding Collection has everything needed for that perfect special day.

- story by Lisa Monti
photos by Ellis Anderson and The Wedding Collection

“We have about 30 gowns from four designers and will offering dresses by two more designers by the end of the year,” she said. 

“The bride can come in and try on as many as she wants. We take one bride at a time to make sure the consultation feels super special.”
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Plans are to expand into bridal veils, jewelry and mother of the bride and bridesmaid gowns.
 
The new bridal shop is Kerri's second local venture with husband Kevin Pellegrin and business partner, Daniel Clark, whom she makes very clear she couldn't do this without them by her side.
 
She also manages the day-to-day operation the Harbor House and Suites at 222 South Beach Boulevard which offers vacation rentals in a restored 1840s beachfront home.
 
Keeping with the local theme, Kerri says she makes every effort to work with local vendors for each wedding she’s involved in. “I couldn’t do my job without really great vendor partners, and we try to keep everything local.”
 

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She remains mindful of the couple’s budget, keeping an eye on their bottom line. Catering is outsourced to local partners including Claiborne Hill and 200 North Beach.
 
“We look at the menu the bride and groom want and suggest the best vendor suited for them,” she says. “We’re very selective who we work with.” Also outsourced are flowers, the cake, the bar, music and photography, she says.
 
“We’re very hands-on and use a customized checklist,” she said.
 
That includes finding and securing the venue and designing the space. Kerri uses the city-owned indoor and outdoor venues including the Bay St. Louis Community Center, the park and duck pond at the depot, the Longfellow Community Center and the Harbor Event Deck plus the Balcony on South Beach Boulevard and a property in Biloxi.
 
No matter where the wedding is celebrated, she says, “We take a lot of pride in making sure the space looks and feels different for every bride.”
 

 
So far, she’s done nine weddings and four more are coming up. “We have one every weekend in November.” Locally, an average wedding has 150 invited guests, but Kerri is prepared to handle up to 600 people.
 
In keeping with her Louisiana family’s traditions, the couple have the option of having a formal receiving line at the reception and a second-line dance so the guests can join in.
 
Kerri said about half of the brides she’s worked with have been locals and others live in Jackson, Baton Rouge, Hattiesburg and New Mexico, among other locations. She expects word will spread far and wide that the Bay is a growing wedding destination.
 
The Wedding Collection will have a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration Nov. 22. You’ll find details on our Shoofly Community Calendar.

The Wedding Collection
104 U.S. 90 W
Bay St. Louis
228-344-3212 (Shoppe) 228-365-3115 (cell)
Info@theweddingcollection.com

A visit to the Maine home of E.B. White, author of "Charlotte's Web" and "The Elements of Style," two of the most beloved books in the English language. 

- Story and photos by Rheta Grimsley Johnson
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​He wrote in his boat house, hauling a typewriter in a wheelbarrow at day’s beginning and end. A commute, if you will.
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If you are not sure where to begin a search, go to the library. As is the case in most of Maine’s tailored towns, Friend Memorial Public Library was the loveliest building in the burg of Brooklin. You have to trust a region that values its libraries enough to make them shine.
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E.B. White is one of my literary heroes. He wrote thousands of well-chosen words for the New Yorker Magazine over five decades. He wrote books for children, including the classic Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. There are thick collections of his memorable letters.

But the book I hold dearest is The Elements of Style, which White co-authored with his former Cornell University professor William Strunk Jr. “No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume,” The Boston Globe raved upon the publication of the third edition of the perennial bestseller.

It is true. Better than grammatical rules reviewed is the “style approach” White made simple. Write with nouns and verbs. Do not overwrite. Avoid fancy words. And so on.

It is the bible of spare, understandable writing. If you’ve ever written so much as a letter, you need this book. Beware, however, it will make you a vicious critic of some of the over-wrought writing in vogue these days. Pat Conroy, for instance, would have struggled in Strunk’s class or under a White edit; Donna Tartt would have flunked and fled.

I found White’s grave at the back of the big city cemetery simply by figuring he’d take the same approach to death as he had to writing. Keep it simple.
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​There he was – Elwyn Brooks White – beneath a plain Jane marker next to his wife, Katharine Angell, also of New Yorker fame. Name, date of birth, date of death. That’s it. I half expected to see someone’s worn copy of “Elements” on top of the grave, but White’s devotees would never part with their copies. I have the one I bought at Auburn in 1971 and my late husband’s dog-eared copy.

The librarian was helpful and pointed out gifts from the Whites. There were two original Garth Williams drawings from the Stuart Little manuscript. The library has a small garden outside named for Katharine and E.B. White, who supported it with both money and hard work. Katharine helped with the garden design.

I went to the general store across the street and bought a scone and a t-shirt. I doubt if White hung out there much as he avoided strangers who felt like they knew him.

James Thurber wrote White would use the fire escape to get away from The New Yorker office whenever visitors he did not know arrived.

“He has avoided the Man in the Reception Room as he has avoided the interviewer, the photographer, the microphone, the rostrum, the literary tea and the Stork Club. His life is his own….”

He’s been dead since 1985, but it still felt awkward hunting E.B. White. But I wanted to pay respects, that’s all. So many times he’s saved me from myself.
Rather, very, little, pretty – these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words….
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That’s the kind of advice that helps a writer, day after day, word after word.

Every community is the sum of its residents, past and present. But we'll bet that none of these gentlemen had an inkling that we would be talking about them more than a century after they left us.

- Story by ​Jerry Beaugez 

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No man was more accommodating or had more friends than he. If anyone met him and said they were hungry, Polite would say, “Well, you can’t eat your hat. Here, try this,” and he would leave them with something to eat. The mailman, messenger, general delivery man and baker all in one great character continued to helping others for nearly half a century. Mr. Polite passed away in 1930.

​R.R. Perkins was known as a “big operator” in Bay St. Louis. Born in Bernice, South Carolina, in 1869, he and his family moved to Broxton, Georgia, where he met and married Tempie Lott. Perkins moved to Bay St. Louis in 1903 where he and his wife raised six children.
​

Mr. Perkins was the president of the Imperial Naval Stores Company and the Hancock Naval Stores Company, one of the largest companies of its type in Mississippi at the time, which produced such items as resin, tar, and timber used for sailing ships. The company also produced pine oil, pitch, and turpentine which were shipped through New Orleans, Mobile, and Gulfport. Under Perkins’s supervision from its Bay St. Louis headquarters, the Hancock Naval Stores Company was capitalized at half a million dollars. Today that would earn him $12,500,000.00. Perkins was also the president of the Merchant’s Bank, which was originally housed on Beach Boulevard just south of the tracks. The building remained standing until 2005 when Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged the structure, and it was eventually torn down.
​

Perkins was a kind and giving man who quietly dispensed with an open heart to many charities as well as family and friends alike. When he passed away on December 10, 1915, his obituary stated, “He had the biggest trust in mankind; ever hopeful, his life was indeed an inspiration to those who knew him.” His tombstone is as large as his presence in the history of Bay St. Louis and is the largest single stone in the Cedar Rest Cemetery, weighing 1,700 pounds. The stone was brought from New Orleans by train, which stopped at Second Street; there it was loaded onto a skid and was pulled by eight mules to mark his final resting place.
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​For nearly 100 years the de Montluzin name was known in Bay St. Louis as a distinguished family and the proprietors of the city’s oldest and most reputable pharmacy. Ludovic A. de Montluzin, otherwise known as “L.A.” was born in December of 1827 in the town of Luneville in the province of Lorraine, France. An idealistic young journalist with political opposition to the French Emperor Napoleon III, de Montluzin felt despair for the future of France and emigrated to the United States with his wife, Reine Helluy de Montluzin, and their three small children. Settling in Louisiana, the couple had three more children. In 1878, L.A. suffered a heart attack and, at the urging of his doctors, he retired to Bay St. Louis to “give up some of his activities.”
​

​L.A., Reine and their six children began their new lives in Bay St. Louis. Their family home was located at 208 North Beach Boulevard, at the foot of what is now de Montluzin Avenue. The de Montluzin home would later become the original Bay Town Inn, which was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. While looking for a hobby to pass his time, L.A. decided to open a pharmacy. The de Montluzin Drug Store was opened on Beach Boulevard in 1878 and soon became a trusted establishment for stocking pure, fresh drugs, sundries, toiletries and other quality goods. L.A. and Reine’s son, Rene, received his pharmacist license in 1893 and worked alongside his father.
​

The devotion to his wife and family was very strong. During a deadly yellow fever epidemic along the Gulf Coast, Mrs. de Montluzin took her two youngest children to visit her family in Paris. Her husband missed her greatly, and letters to her during this time “overflowed with his tenderness and love.” That love of the two remained constant for 62 years until the death of L.A. on December 26, 1909. Heartbroken and not desiring to live, Reine took to her bed, and on January 19, 1910, she passed away, simply by willing it so. A love like that can only be described by the Latin inscription engraved inside her husband’s wedding ring, Virtus iunxit; mors non separabit – “Virtue united us; death will not separate us.”

Their son, Rene, continued to operate the de Montluzin and Sons Drug Store for years. Rene passed away on February 18, 1959, at the age of 93. His son, Rene Jr., would become the third generation to carry on the family business, doing so until his death in 1977. The pharmacy was then closed, and patient records were transferred to another pharmacy in town. 
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​The oldest and most trusted name in pharmacies in Bay St. Louis was in continuous operation just short of 100 years. Many older residents of Bay St. Louis still speak of the de Montluzin family and the de Montluzin & Sons Drug Store.

Is time linear, the way most of us in the modern world experience it, or is it cyclical, the way our ancestors existed in it? 

- Story by James Inabinet, Ph.D.
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Before linear time, for nearly the entire expanse of human experience, there was cyclical time too, rhythmic time. Cyclical time was the lived experience of the masses even up to now. For the all-too-many living on the margins of poverty, no clock rules their existence. They are the “shiftless.” There are no shifts to work, no shifts that follow the hands of a clock.
 
Outside of the world of money and work and clocks, the natural sense of time on Earth as directly experienced right now is less linear and more cyclical – the seasons, the daily cycle, the phases of the moon.
 
Rhythmic time speaks of an eternal order, the light and dark of the seasons, the growth and decay of all things coming into being, to do and go, only to come again. Watching a river flow, unchanging through its continued change, enables an idea of timelessness, of an eternal time that can be experienced by simply being outside, a part of the changing reality and eternity of a single day.
 
Linear time is connected to the past, to memory; we experience it by looking back. By contrast, rhythmic time is the eternal now, always in front of us, right now. It speaks of what was, but in its recurrent reality, now, a story told by the rising sun each dawn.

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A day begins in the dead of night from which daylight inexorably bursts forth as Apollo’s chariot completes its round. At night, stillness reigns. Little moves. What does move can only be heard – now.
 
Sight is useless in the dim moonlight of a crescent moon. With straining ears, the night sojourner faintly hears the far off frogs in the pond and the leaf-rustling of an armadillo across the way digging up a worm or grub, rooting more like a pig than a pig itself. There he leaves a cone-shaped, ankle-breaking hole.
 
Unmoving stillness is what midnight looks like; silence is its roar in a sleeping world. Yet one never fully feels alone in the night forest, and to be sure, not all of the forest is sleeping. The night sojourner ever feels like she’s being stared at: the watchful owl on the limb, the fearful golden mouse on the trail edge, the thousands of wolf spiders scurrying along the ground against the lumbering giant’s footfall.
 
One is never alone in a forest.
 
Finally a faint eastern glow begins to push back the shadows. The world is coming to life.
 
Morning looks like the morning glory, blooming to meet the sunlight of day. Morning sounds like the cardinals in the fetterbush thicket–tick-tick-tick-tick-tick–picking off the leaf-eating caterpillars. Morning sounds like the buzzing solitary bee that visits the meadowbeauty at the forest edge.
 
The sunlight traces paths a hundred-fold through the morning mist, seeking, it seems, any path to bring light to the forest floor. As the day progresses, the flurry of activity slowly ceases until only the occasional bird or the occasional bee remains. The sun finds a more direct route to the ground now. There is less forest to obstruct its path from overhead.

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As the day wanes, the pace quickens again as the animals almost frantically search for their supper. The morning glories are now long closed up in preparation for the sleep of night. As night falls, the stillness that reigned the night before resumes.
 
The regnant shadows cloak what in the light of day was a mere pine stump. Now in the shadows it is a hunched over, wooly monster, created in the mind’s eye of fantasy and memory. A day is felt more than seen, and in that feeling one becomes a participant, a co-creator, in the wonders of place, space, and time.

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Australian Aborigines are co-creators in this way. In his daily experience, Big Bill Neidjiee sings his world into being in the dreaming (as recorded by T. C. McCluhan).

I feel it with my body, with my blood.
Feeling all these trees, all this country ...
When this wind blows you can feel it.
Same for country ... you feel it.
You can look, but feeling ...
 That make you.

After the Bonne Carré Spillway opening closed Mississippi beaches for three months this year, statewide opposition grows against a plan to make diversions permanent. 

- by Lisa Monti

 George Cavignac, executive director of nonprofit Gulf Coast Resource Coalition, told the Bay city council the plan is currently in the Corps of Engineers permitting process and is being fast-tracked. He called it an impending crisis.

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“The time to act is now,” he said. “This is something that literally will wipe out the culture that is Southeast Louisiana and South Mississippi and our recreational and commercial fishing industries and tourism. It’s definitely worth fighting for."
 
The push in Hancock County to oppose the river diversion effort comes just days after Mississippi’s beaches were cleared for swimming. They were closed by the state Department of Environmental Quality because of toxic algal resulting from the opening of the Bonne Carre spillway for 123 days this year.
 
The spillway released 10 trillion gallons of Mississippi River water which GCRC says inundated Mississippi’s coastal waters, causing massive harm to the economy, fisheries and marine mammal population.
 
The proposed Mid-Breton Project is designed to release 33 million gallons of Mississippi River water per minute, though the amount can vary. The minimum flow would be 5,000 CFS (cubic feet per second) - which is 2,250,000 gallons per minute.

 
Mid-Breton backers have taken a couple of legislative moves to give the project a better chance of getting approval, but that would negatively impact marine life. Cavignac said the Louisiana group got a waiver to the Marine Mammal Protection Act passed and is now trying to amend a bill to remove the essential fish habitat environmental review that is part of the required environmental review.
 
“The project can’t sustain an environmental review. If it can’t pass the environmental impact study process, they need to either not do it or mitigate for the fisheries and tourism dollars. That would drive project out of its price range,” he said.
 
One councilman called Cavignac’s presentation “very informative and alarming.” The council voted unanimously to ask the state Congressional delegation to oppose the project and to ask the governor to oppose the issuance of a federal permit to construct the project. The Hancock supervisors took similar steps at their meeting.
 
Wendy McDonald, a candidate for Mississippi House District 122, lists opposition to the diversion plans as her number one priority in Jackson. She told the Shoofly Magazine, “We celebrate the reopening of the beaches but we’re going to have to work to keep them that way. It’s going to take all of us pulling together.”
 
For more information, go to https://gulfcoastresource.org.

This month, Waveland Mayor Mike Smith picks up a pen to bring us up to date on events and important projects in our seaside town.
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​I am also very proud that we recently opened up the first dog park in Hancock County, with a section for both small and larger furry friends. On that same day we officially opened the City of Waveland town green between the Ground Zero Museum and the Library. This will be an area that everyone can enjoy and will be the home of our Festival of Lights this year. We will do our official tree lighting and Christmas parade with Santa Claus all in this location on December 7 starting at 5:00.
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​We also are about 80% finished with our new community center at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, which is slated to open in November. The community center will include a new playground, a resurfaced basketball court and a new and improved stage for our community to enjoy. We are in the final stages of the city-wide sewer program, which was a $5.5 million infrastructure project, intended to reduce infiltration and save thousands in treatment costs. 
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Last but not least, we have about 30% of the Waveland Avenue sidewalk project complete, which adds sidewalks on both sides of Waveland Ave. This project has been the works for over four years; it is a much needed safety project for pedestrians along one of the busiest streets in Waveland.

With our state and local representative offices overwhelmingly held by men, it's a good time to get to know the women running for office here in Hancock County.

- by Lisa Monti

Editor's note: Kendra “KK” Necaise is running for the office of Hancock County Circuit Clerk, but without opposition so not listed below.  We wish her the best in her new job.  

The general election takes place Tuesday, November 5.  Click here to open a sample ballot PDF.  

• Wendy McDonald and Brent Anderson are vying for State House of Representatives District 122.
• Theresa Ryan is running against Buster Verdin and David Yarborough for Supervisor in District 1.
• Teresa Ehrlich faces Brian Necaise for Justice Court Judge 2.
• Lynn Smith and Eric Moran are running for Justice Court Judge 3. 

 
The Shoofly Magazine asked the local women candidates to answer three questions for the consideration of the voters. Their replies follow. (Since Kendra Necaise is running unopposed, she was not contacted for comment.)

Wendy McDonald
Candidate for House of Representatives, District 122

What are your top three goals if you are elected? 
My top three goals are education and workforce development, affordable health care and environmental action.
 
What unique experience will you bring to your constituents?
My knowledge and leadership skills in the field education and the eight years of experience on the Bay St. Louis city council provide a depth of knowledge that is acquired by doing the jobs. My dedication and commitment to Katrina recovery was extensive in Hancock County. For the last few months I have been studying the Bonnet Carré Spillway issue intensively and I will be announcing several major action items for the state to consider to prevent a repeat of this disaster.
 
Why is it important for women to run for political office?
I know that the conversation changes when women are in the room. Just as I believe in a two-party system and checks and balances, I know from experience that if women are not a part of the conversation then it’s not a balanced discussion or decision. Women do thousands of jobs now that were not available to them 50 years ago but it has taken longer to get women to run and get elected to office than I expected.

Theresa Ryan
​Candidate for Hancock County Supervisor, District 1 

What are your top three goals if you are elected? 
If elected I plan to provide the people of Hancock County and District 1 a fully engaged Supervisor. Hearing what is important to my constituents, and then acting on these priorities in a timely manner is critical. By attending the Supervisor meetings, representing our citizens and their needs, and by actively addressing those issues that come up in every Board meeting is my goal.
 
Next, I have heard on the campaign trail from many voters that transparency is important. So letting the people of Hancock County know what is happening – both good and bad – in our county in a timely manner, is very important.
 
Finally, as your county representative we have an abundance of economic opportunities that can, and should be pursued. This results in more jobs, a growth in economic development, and quality growth for our entire county. Working together with the other 4 Supervisors can result in a better Hancock County for all of our citizens. “A rising tide lifts all boats”!
 

What unique experience will you bring to your constituents?  
As a third generation Hancock County resident, I have lived in what is our greatest area of this state. Growing up here taught me what it is during the good and bad times. My work experience has provided me what a large and a small business can do for our county. As an owner of my own information technology company (Computer Solutions LLC), I know what it takes to run a successful business; just like the business of our county. I have also been fortunate to have lived away from home – first, for four years at the University of Southern Mississippi where I earned my degree in Computer Science. Also, my travels to different locations in this country, as well as internationally, for both business and personal reasons, have opened my eyes to what our community can be. Our county has many great natural resources, key federal, state and local government representation, as well as people resources second to none. Our unique geographical location is another advantage we should utilize in growing our economy for our constituents.

Why is it important for women to run for political office?  
Representation in any industry is maximized by tapping into all resources available. If we only look at 50% of any population a business, industry, government or any other entity will never reach its potential. Therefore, I look at diversity as looking for the best, most qualified; most motivated person to do whatever job is needed to be filled. I am proud to be a woman running for Hancock County Supervisor District 1, just as I am proud to be running as a life-long citizen, someone who cares very deeply for this community, and someone who puts the citizens of our county first at all times. 
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Teresa Ehrlich
Candidate for Justice Court Judge 2

What are your top three goals if you are elected?
 My first goal is to ensure “A People’s Court” – one where everyone in the courtroom is fully aware of what is taking place. I want each person to be advised of their constitutional rights in a clear and comprehensible manner prior to any court proceedings.
 
For two decades I have witnessed little change in the way criminal cases are handled in our Justice Court, therefore my second goal is to streamline this outdated system and introduce changes that will minimize the time spent waiting needlessly in the courtroom. This is a concern I have heard expressed repeatedly by both the citizens and the officers.
 
As your next Justice Court Judge Place 2, my third goal is to prioritize the duties of this position. I will be a “full-time” judge, making myself available 24/7, accessibility that is not currently available.
 
What unique experience will you bring to your constituents?
I have previously worked and served as vice president of American Bail Bond Inc. for a total of 19 years. I bring a unique ability to research current laws and proposed legislation and an understanding of how these affect the citizens of Hancock County. I am also familiar with the operation of our Justice and Municipal Court systems, having attended hundreds of docket calls and trials while logging over 1,000 hours of courtroom experience. My experience with the various elements of the judicial system, from incarceration to disposition, far surpasses that of my opposition. Moreover, by drawing upon my more than 30 years of experience in the government and private sector, I possess the ability to accurately follow rules, regulations and practices outlined under statutory law.
 
Why is it important for women to run for political office?
There are several reasons why I believe women should run for political office. First, there are not enough women currently serving in government. While there has been a recent upward trend in the number of women entering the political arena, the overall number is still extremely disproportionate, not only to the number of registered female voters but also the female population in general. Second, women bring a diversified and dynamic perspective to political office. There is no denying that politics is a male-dominated field, so it’s important that women contribute the much-needed traits of empathy, inclusiveness and an open negotiating style to politics. While I could provide many other reasons why it’s important for women to run for political office, one of the most important reasons is the impact of change women leaders contribute by breaking down the long-standing cultural and structural barriers.
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Lynn Smith 
Candidate for Justice Court Judge 3

What are your top three goals if you are elected? 
If I were to be elected as Justice Court Judge for Place 3 in Hancock County my first goal will be to try to get more fines paid off through community service. My second goal would be to get folks that need drug and alcohol intervention more hope. My last goal will be listen to both sides. If you have to appear before me I will listen as an impartial decision maker.

What unique experience will you bring to your constituents?
I have been working as a volunteer for the Hancock County Amateur Radio Association and the Hancock County EOC for many years because I have a strong sense of service for the citizens in my community. I love my community and want folks to be safe. The laws are the laws; I will bring compassion, honesty, dignity  and fairness. I feel that a lay person makes for a better Justice Court Judge, not someone with a law enforcement background. As a lay person I would fairly judge both sides.

Why is it important for women to run for political office?
Our society has many voices, but for centuries policies and laws have been conceived and written by men. The Suffragette movement secured the right for women to be able to vote. Women should put out their ideas even more by running for office. We owe it to our sisters that made sacrifices for those rights.

During the Second Saturday Artwalk each month in Old Town Bay St. Louis, you'll find cool deals, fresh meals and lots of art and live music!

Be sure to check out "Hot Spots" Southern Accents (125 Main Street) and PJ’s Coffee on the Bay (207 Main Street). Read more about these featured businesses below! 
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- stories and photos by Anne Pitre

Southern Accents
125 Main Street 
Bay St. Louis​
(228) 363-2999
Website

​“It’s Fall, Y’all!” is what you will want to exclaim when you walk into Southern Accents in the old Masonic temple on Main Street. Purveyors of all things typically Southern, Jenny Shubert takes her love of the culture to a new level with clothing and gifts for all ages. The first thing that will welcome you is the scent of one of their homemade, hand-poured candles. Made by the family on their property in the Kiln, delicious scents like Blueberry Jubilee, Green Apple Pie and Vanilla Cotton will fill your home with sweetness.  

Candles aren’t the only item unique to the store. Southern Accents also carries its own line of t-shirts, which are both witty and proud. The family also produces their own line of bath products called “The Southern Goat Company.” 

Shoppers will find a good selection of casual clothes. Jenny’s daughter, Hannah, has proven to have an eye for style and helps choose trendsetting items to carry in the store. They are also size inclusive, with a respectable inventory of plus size items.

There are also items for men, with favorites being the Tide & Timber line of t-shirts and baseball caps. This line reflects the outdoors, with rustic prints and designs such as fish, ducks and man’s best friend.

Of course, these items are just a snapshot of all you will find at Southern Accents. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy, from team gear to baby gifts to home decor and everything in between. You can check them out at 125 Main Street from 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday. Of course, they will have extended hours on 2nd Saturday on October 12th. Stop by between 4 and 7 p.m. to take in the music and hors d’oeuvres and experience what shoppers already know - Southern Accents isn’t just a boutique . . . it’s a place that tells the story of what it means to be Southern. 
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s Coffee on the Bay
207 Main Street 
Bay St. Louis​
(228) 231-1942​
Website

Pumpkin spice and everything nice! That’s what’s on the menu this month at PJ’s Coffee on the Bay, the October “Hot Spot” in Old Town Bay St. Louis. One step inside this restored creole cottage and you won’t have to wonder why. Seven days a week from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. PJ’s is open offering customers a selection of tempting pastries and sandwiches. Stop by and check out the scrumptious pumpkin praline velvet ice or try the pumpkin latte or bananas foster cold brew iced latte. These won’t disappoint.

This year, PJ’s and its sister franchise twin, The Creole Creamery, were elected Businesses of the Year by the Hancock Chamber of Commerce. A welcome addition to Old Town Bay St. Louis, owners Jim and Catherine MacPhaille had a vision — three years in the making — to bring these two successful New Orleans-known brands to the Coast. In September 2018, right before Cruisin’ the Coast, that vision became reality, hiring 30 local residents to scoop up some of the best ice-cream found anywhere and serve the best java brew in town.

​The MacPhailles are real estate developers that own and operate hundreds of commercial and residential properties in New Orleans and Bay St. Louis. “We’re excited to bring the New Orleans-inspired flavors of PJ’s Coffee to Bay St. Louis and revive a building in the heart of the community on Main Street,” said Jim MacPhaille. “Local residents and visitors alike are embracing the vibrant atmosphere and southern hospitality that PJ’s Coffee provides.”
 
PJ’s Coffee serves a wide variety of iced, frozen, hot, cold brew, and nitro-infused coffees, using only the top one percent of Arabica beans, as well as organic tea. The New Orleans-based coffeehouse demonstrates that better beans, superior roasting techniques, and pure passion for the art of coffee-making matter.
 

 
The drive through at PJ’s on the Bay offers customers a quick way to sample any one of the hot or cold brews and sandwich offerings whether on foot, on a bicycle or the traditional car. “You can’t buy me love," said one customer, “but you can buy me some ice cream and PJ’s Coffee on the Bay!”

Stop in and check it out at 207 Main Street or call 228-231-1942. The clean, efficient, modern (yet historic) facilities in the heart of Old Town-are easily accessible and pet-friendly, as well as being ADA compliant. There will be something for everyone to enjoy there on Second Saturday! Brandon Tingstrom will play on the patio from 3-7 pm, and there will be face-painting from 2-7 pm, fun games for kids and adults, a photo booth with props, a blow-up obstacle course from Waterslides Of The Coast, and more. PJ’s will be the place to be for families and children of all ages this Second Saturday!