ACCENT

S O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I
DECEMBER 2009

Celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas

SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION | CARLOW CHOIR| CHAINSAW ART| NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION |DISPATCHES FROM MY SOUTH
ACC E N T
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

Volume 1, Number 4 • December 2009

www.accentsouthmississippi.com
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Robyn Jackson
theaccenteditor@aol.com

CONTRIBUTORS
Jonathon Alford
Barry Beard
Charlotte Blom
Louie Galiano
Jamie O’Quinn
Anthony Thaxton
James Welch
Valerie Wells

GUEST COLUMNIST
Reba J. McMellon
James Welch

ADVERTISING
For advertising information
Kristi W. Gatlin
Brookhaven and McComb
kristiwgatlin@gmail.com

Charlotte Blom
Hattiesburg
charlotteblom1@gmail.com

DESIGN & FABRICATION

Lisa W. Pittman
accentproduction@cableone.net

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ACCENT South Mississippi is

published bimonthly by
SoMiss Publishing LLC
Post Office Box 19027
Hattiesburg, MS 39404-9027

SoMiss Publishing LLC.

All rights reserved. Contents of
this magazine may not be
reproduced in any manner without
written consent from Publisher.
ACCENT South Mississippi cannot
be held liable for errors
and omissions.

Printed in the U.S.A.

 d ec e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | ACC E N T S O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I | V O L . 1, N O. 4

CONTENTS features

12 PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

by Louis A. Galiano
Pearl River County Community Band is a
16 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
TELLING THE TRUTH
by Valerie Wells
dream come true for founder Student Daydriana Rankin stands up for
Hattiesburg High

14 ARTISTRY IN WOOD
by Jamie O’Quinn
World famous chainsaw artist leaves his
18 SINGING TO THE LORD
by Robyn Jackson
South Mississippi’s Carlow Choir gains
mark in Sandersville international exposure

PHOTOGRAPHY ABOVE
ACCENT ON THE COVER
S O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I
DECEMBER 2009
Old-Fashioned Santa Lighting Mason Park, Laurel, MS
For 12 years, The Committee to Light Mason Park
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY
has replaced bulbs and strung lights to create a
PHOTOEXPRESS special place for the residents of Laurel to
celebrate the Christmas season. The lights turn
on around 4:30 p.m. and go off around 10:30 each
Celebrate an Old Fashioned Christmas night until Jan. 1.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION | CARLOW CHOIR| CHAINSAW ART| NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION |DISPATCHES FROM MY SOUTH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY BEARD

4 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
 CONTENTS
d ec e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | ACC E N T S O U T H M I S S I S S I P P I

32 SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION

23 THE FIRST ANNUAL NEW

HAVEN REAL LIFE NATIVITY
A Short Story by Anthony Thaxton

32 HOLIDAY GLITZ
Brookhaven retail shops decorate
in style

34 TAKE BACK CHRISTMAS

by James Welch

36 MAKING A LIST, CHECKING

IT TWICE
Try these Christmas gift ideas

38 10 QUESTIONS WITH ROBERT

ST. JOHN
Dispatches from My South

41 READ ANY GOOD BOOKS

LATELY?
Add these Mississippi-centric
books to your Christmas list

42 GLASS HOUSES
Artist Donna Woods’ hand-paint-
42 ed Christmas ornaments

46 VICTORIAN LIGHTS
Luminaries light up downtown
Hattiesburg historic neighbor-
hood

48 CROWD-PLEASING RECIPES
PREPARED BY AREA CHEFS

50 COOKBOOK LADIES PROVIDE

TIPS FOR HOLIDAY COOKING

in every issue
10 Editor’s Notes

50 56 Life in South Mississippi

6 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
 Purchase Your Copy Online
Visit our New Website
www.waiting4acure.org

W
C for a
AITING
URE
601.543.5719
 CONTRIBUTORS
JONATHON ALFORD, a Brookhaven native, is
the former chief photographer of the Daily
Leader in Brookhaven and staff photographer
for the Commercial Dispatch in Columbus.
Jonathon has won more than 30 individual
photography awards in the Mississippi Press
Association and the Mississippi-Louisiana
Associated Press awards, including Photo of
the Year in 2001. Jonathon has contributed to
several publications including “America 24-7”
by DK Publishing, The Clarion Ledger, the
Natchez Democrat, the Enterprise-Journal,
Daily Leader, Commercial Dispatch, South
Mississippi Scene and Accent South
Mississippi.
BARRY BEARD, a Laurel native, graduated
with a degree in photojournalism from the
University of Southern Mississippi in 1992. He
has worked as a photographer at newspapers
in Laurel, Natchez, Vicksburg, Hattiesburg
and Jackson, Tenn. He left the newspaper
business in 2002 to become co-owner of a
fast-food business in Laurel, and has been
doing freelance photography for the
Associated Press and various publications.
CHARLOTTE BLOM has a bachelor of arts
degree from Vassar College. She has been
freelance copy editing and writing for years,
as well as sampling unrelated professional
experiences. She enjoys exploring, hunting
and gathering in and around her home in
Hattiesburg.
LOUIS A. GALIANO owns an antiques store
with his wife Debbie in Picayune. A graduate
of Louisiana State University with twin
degrees in English and business, his career
has been mostly in management and in teach-
ing college economics. He is presently at
work on his second novel, a sequel to his
first, “Snorkel - Immersions in Time.” Born in
New Orleans, he moved to the Picayune area
more than 20 years ago.
REBA J. MCMELLON is a freelance writer,
8 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
photographer, columnist and professional
mental health consultant. She reviews books
written in or about the South. Her Wit and
Wisdom column, book reviews and feature
articles have been published in newspapers
and magazines both nationally and interna-
tionally. She lives in Hurley.
JAMIE O’QUINN is a freelance writer, photog-
rapher and mom of many. She produces a syn-
dicated column which can be viewed at
www.hollywoodsouth.ms. A former public
relations editor and agency photographer for
the state, she currently serves as Hattiesburg
chapter president of the Mississippi Writers
Guild. Whether dancing with the Choctaw
Indians or flicking sawdust out of her hair
while witnessing chainsaw artists in action,
she remains intrigued with the beloved peo-
ple of our Magnolia State.
ANTHONY THAXTON is a painter, musician,
television producer and columnist. His video
productions have won numerous national
awards. He is a former resident of Petal who
now resides in Gulf Breeze, Fla.
JAMES WELCH is a freelance writer who grew
up in the McComb area and has lived in the
Hattiesburg area for the last six years, with
his high school sweetheart and wife, Wendy.
They have three children, Ariana, Lauren and
Braden. He likes to treat every day as an
adventure, and with three children under the
age of seven, it usually is.
VALERIE WELLS is a freelance writer who has
covered all aspects of community journalism
for the past 20 years. A military brat with
deep roots in South Mississippi, she looks for
stories about the shared history and culture
of the region brought to life by everyday
folk. She has written for national and region-
al magazines and has been editor of several
publications and Web sites. She lives in
Hattiesburg with a patient husband and two
well-adjusted sons.
 EDITOR’S NOTES

SINCERELY SOUTHERN

SEASON OF HOPE

I IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR, OR SO THE SONG TELLS
US. BUT FOR MANY SOUTH MISSISSIPPIANS,THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS NOT
SO JOLLY. WHETHER THEY’VE LOST A JOB, THEIR RETIREMENT SAVINGS,
THEIR HEALTH, OR A LOVED ONE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HURTING.
The worst thing to lose, though, is hope.
Even if you put your faith in God to work it all out for good and provide for your
needs, struggling to keep a roof over your head and food in your pantry because you no
longer have an income can test that faith. Facing Christmas without someone you love
can sap any joy it might normally bring. It’s easy to get depressed this time of year. The
holidays can also remind us of how lonely we are, or how afraid we feel.
So maybe now, more than ever, we need the hope that the holiday season brings. It’s
not by accident that the three major holidays celebrated each dark December - Christmas,
Hanukkah and Kwanzaa - all feature candles and lights, which are symbols for hope.
If you don’t have many traditions, 2009 is the year to start some. Set up a nativity
scene. Begin a collection of snowmen or Santas. Invite some friends over for a tree-trim-
ming party or a cookie swap. Sit down with your kids for a Christmas movie marathon.
Bake cookies. Attend a church service. Light a scented candle. Enjoy the decorated win-
dows at the retailers that line Brookway Boulevard in Brookhaven, or drive through the
Victorian Candlelit Christmas celebration in the Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood.
If you can afford it, buy groceries for a friend or neighbor who has hit hard times.
Adopt a child on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, or send a Christmas card to a nursing
home resident who no longer has anyone to remember them at this time of year.
Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Doing something to help others will lift your spirits.
This issue of Accent South Mississippi celebrates the season with features on every-
thing from chainsaw artists to holiday entertaining. There is reason to celebrate. We
mustn’t forget that.
As 2009 rushes to its end, let’s hope and pray that the recession also comes to a swift
end, that prosperity and peace of mind return soon, and that 2010 is better for all of us.
Merry Christmas, and happy new year!

Robyn Jackson

10 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
 FEATURES | community band plans holiday concert

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Pearl River County Community Band is a
dream come true for founder

S TEXT BY LOUIS A. GALIANO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDI HEAD
Sometimes happiness takes a circuitous
route. So it is with Johnny Baker and the Pearl
River County Community Band. If you’ve never
heard it, you should, and in the process you
will become a believer that success comes with
commitment, passion and a devout conviction
that to be the best involves a dedication
toward perfection.
The band has only been in existence since
October 2008, but within two months it was
giving its first concert to an amazed audience
of steadily growing aficionados who await the
next performance with increasing eagerness
and steady devotion.
The director of the band is Johnny Baker, a
former instructor in music at Picayune Memorial
High School who is remembered by his students
as the best there was and who not only insisted
on flawlessness but inspired his pupils in that
direction, as many testimonial letters from that
period and after indicate.
But the road to the Community Band was not
a direct one.
Baker at first studied for the ministry.
Realizing that such was not his calling, he
turned to music and was the band director at
Picayune Memorial High School from 1971 until
1978. But at that time he was made an offer he
could not refuse. His family had always been in
the jewelry business and he was presented with
a job by a major New York jewelry firm, Kasper
and Esh, as a distributor at a salary far in
excess of his income as teacher. Still, his heart
was directed toward music and the thought of
one day directing a band.
Following the distributorship, he opened his
own jewelry shop in Picayune which he man-
aged for 10 years until realizing that the retail
business was not for him. A short stint in mag-
azine sales put the finishing touches on vend-
ing, and in 2005 he retired from the commer-
cial world, his hopes for a band unrealized.

12 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i

Baker’s stint as band director left its impres-
sion and when in 2008 he attended a football
game at Picayune High School, a former student
suggested to him that the town should have a
community band and that Baker should be its
director. As other students began arriving at
Baker’s home with the same suggestion and
after a bit of arm-twisting he finally agreed. A
friend told him that he was lucky if he could
find 30 musicians. Within three days he had 67.
My first exposure to the Community Band was
a patriotic concert given in honor of 9/11 which
included an incredibly strong memorial piece
complete with chorus. Upon leaving, I was con-
vinced that this was no ordinary band, but
rather a dedicated assembly which in all seri-
ousness had accomplished something special and
had offered the community a gift which it could
look upon with pride.
I have always been interested in a behind-
the-scenes look at things and Johnny Baker was
kind enough to let me attend a rehearsal held
at Picayune’s First United Methodist Church in
advance of the band’s upcoming Christmas con-
cert. I arrived early and watched as the musi-
cians entered, greeted each other, assembled
their instruments, and assumed their seats. The
ages seemed to range from grandparent status
to the very young, while the scene was accom-
panied by the dissonant sounds of flutes, tubas,
and trumpets running through some notes. After
what seemed to be the customary reminders,
admonitions and praise, the group was told
what pieces they would be playing that night.
Sheet music was brought forth and the band was
called to order.
Suddenly the movement of his hands brought
forth the powerful profound haunting beauty of
a Bach chorale that filled the room. I wondered
about the pleasure one would receive from tak-
ing such a disparate collection of sounds and
personalities and producing such stunning and
abiding harmonies. But Johnny Baker was not
completely satisfied and the chorale was played
once more - deeply, more radiant. With each
playing, the piece appeared to attain a more
striking depth, until it satisfied Johnny’s ear.
“That was pretty good,” he said. The band
knew a compliment when it heard one.
At one point he had the band sing a passage.
He told me later that singing would impress the
movement within their minds in a precise way
which could not be attained otherwise. It
became obvious that playing music was more
than merely reading the scale and reproducing
what was written there. There were specific
tones, beats and sounds that Johnny required.
“Don’t soften the note,” he said. “Make it
bounce.”
The following day, I interviewed Johnny Baker
and we spoke generally about the high price of
musical instruments, the intellectual nature of
music, the dedication of the band, the possibili-
ty of taking the group on tour and his
unabashed affection for the musicians. What
interested me most, however, was the feeling of
satisfaction of a man, now 68 years old, who
had finally fulfilled his dreams.
When I asked that question, he did not hesi-
tate in his answer.
“I’ve come home,” he smiled. “I’ve finally
come home.”
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Picayune Main Street will sponsor “Community
Christmas in the Park” featuring the Pearl River
County Community Band and Chorus at 6 p.m.
Dec. 14 in Jack Read Park in Picayune. For more
information, call (601) 700-3070.
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 13
 FEATURES | chainsaw art

ARTISTRY IN WOOD
A world champion chainsaw artist and his
friends leave their marks in Sandersville

W TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY

JAMIE O’QUINN

What began as a party in Sandersville with

guests toting chainsaws and adaptive accessories
has eventually evolved into what has been infor-
mally dubbed as the chainsaw artists’ “Walk of
Fame.”
Hidden amongst 250-plus wooded acres, the
hospitality of award-winning master carver
Dayton Scoggins and saw helper/wife Michelle,
has attracted other world-renowned chainsaw
carvers from near and far with many leaving
“Angie had been traveling around to competi-
tions with us and she wanted to do one of her
trademark chicks for us,” Michelle said. “Being
here in the South, I thought it would be great to
have a Daisy Duke.”
Since freshly harvested wood works better for
their mark - quite literally - on their porch.
carving, three logs were located on the Scoggins
“Hurricane Katrina took the roofing off our
property and the trio of master chainsaw carvers
back deck and tossed it over into the pines,”
set to simultaneously working on the porch carv-
Michelle explained. “With so many downed trees
ings.
afterwards, Dayton cut them into boards and
“I did the bear on the far corner, Angie did the
built the deck roofing on three sides of the
girl at the opposite end and Captain Dave did the
house.”
fairy in between,” Dayton said. “When the carv-
Though the trunks of uprooted trees were uti-
ings were completed, the old, hard columns were
lized as columns and looked pretty good,
removed and the newly sculpted artwork was
Michelle had another vision. “Why not carve
inserted.”
these posts?” she asked.
Thus began the walk of fame.
With the tremendous demand for the Scoggins’
With a leisurely stroll around the porch, it is
“Artistry in Wood” business for stump and log
evident that the posts portray both unique per-
carvings in the wake of the hurricane’s aftermath,
sonalities as well as styles. Dayton’s bear is
and chainsaw carving competitions and demon-
reflective of his realistic style and attention to
strations, the porch column carvings were put on
intricate details. Next is a whimsical Chap
hold. It was during a break between chainsaw
Nelson “Hello” face that greets you as you climb
carving competitions that fellow chainsaw carver
the steps and bids you a sad “Goodbye” as you
Dave Lavoie - aka Captain Dave of Townsend,
leave. Dennis Beach’s imposing bear grabs your
Tenn. - and Australian Angie Polglaze spent
attention as you go down the line and the bear
some rest and relaxation time at the Scoggins
theme continues to the nearby two cubs carved
home.

14 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
by Joe Semler. “Lisa Fairy” rests
daintily on the next post pro-
duced by Captain Dave. The
mystical creature is so titled
because she happens to look
like a chainsaw chick of the
same name. Fred Bero’s “Slim
Lefty” depicts a hillbilly com-
plete with removable red
tongue, one tooth, and two left
feet. Holding up her corner of
the porch is Daisy Duke with
red toenails, one of the original
porch sculptures carved by
Angie Polglaze.
Down the other side of the
house is another masterpiece by
Dennis Beach titled “The Soul
of the Forest,” which features a
mother bear and eagle battling
over a salmon. This piece was
the original practice piece Beach
carved at the Scoggins’ work
building in preparation for him
and Dayton competing and
winning the World Cup of
chainsaw sculpting in Germany.
Nick Bero, son of Fred Bero,
completed the next piece featur-
ing raccoon and squirrel. The
final piece on that side is the
only one actually sculpted from
the original Katrina post. It is a
depiction of a tornado caused
by Katrina, and sculpted by Pat
McVay. The two completed
posts on the back were carved
by two up and coming artists,
Ken Packie and Bert Davidson,
who the Scoggins met during
competitions. The pieces were
transported back home.
Though this former towboat
captain husband and barge
mate wife have only been in the
chainsaw carving business
seven and a half years, Dayton
has won an impressive amount
of awards and recognitions. In
fact, after winning first place in
his first competition and turn-
ing pro, he has been featured
on local and international tele-
vision and in multiple publica-
tions. His art is exhibited in
every state in the U.S. and sev-
eral countries abroad and has
won a plethora of awards
including first place for the
World Cup at the Husky Cup in
Mulda, Germany, in May 2009,
and the Golden Chainsaw
Competition in Minnesota in
2009. In addition, he was one of
only two Americans invited to
the World Chainsaw Art
Competition in Toei, Japan, in
2006 and in September 2005
represented the United States as
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 15
 one of only 15 Americans
accepted to the international
invitation-only Sandringham
Festival of Wood. He is also a
member of The Cascade
Chainsaw Sculptors Guild, the
Craftsman’s Guild of
Mississippi, and a member of
the Mississippi Arts
Commission as a Roster Artist.
Whether traveling abroad to
competitions or competing here
in the U.S., Dayton consistently
enjoys his interaction with oth-
ers.
“There are so many different
aspects of going to competi-
tion,” Dayton said. “My
favorite is meeting the people,
seeing different countries and
getting to know other carvers.
From making so many friends
at the competitions, we could
probably travel across the
United States and pretty much
know somebody along the
way.”
Though the Scoggins do their
fair share of traveling, their
chainsaw carving friends make
an effort to come visit them,
often for a seven- to 10-day
stay.
“We are like a safe haven”
Michelle said. “People can come
here for rest and relaxation,
hunting, fishing, eating and if
they want they can carve.”
Some of their friends travel
from the north because spring
comes earlier down here.
Others from Europe want to
continue their travel and explo-
ration of the U.S. after competi-
tion and experience the culture
south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
16 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
No matter where they are from,
friends and guests tend to make
the same request.
“They all want to eat
Southern food” Michelle said.
“Now, I was born a Yankee and
never fried anything before I
met Dayton. Fortunately, his
mom taught me how to make
greens and other Southern spe-
cialties. When people ask why
Southern food is so good, I tell
them the secret – bacon.”
In addition to good food,
Michelle said their friends often
feel like experimenting with
new materials. In addition to
hand, chainsaw, bone and stone
carving, Dayton also possesses
additional skills in metal art.
This equipment is made avail-
able to their guests to experi-
ment with as well. In fact,
Dayton enjoys finding new
tools to utilize in his chainsaw
carving work.
“I am a full-powered carver,”
he said. “When I go off to a
competition it is 99 percent
chainsaw carving and then we
pull out the power tools. I’m
always looking for something to
make my work easier or better.
I’m for whatever will get the
job done.“
From specialty bars utilized
to add small details to burning
the wood for both color and
smoothness, some items are
more standard in the industry.
Other items, however, might be
a crossover experiment from
another art medium.
“I remember a recent compe-
tition when Dayton pulled an
airbrush out of his bag instead
of the traditional spray paint
can,” Michelle said. “I got a
kick out of watching some of
the other participants’ faces.”
Dayton said that airbrushing
has been used by hand carvers
such as those specializing in
ducks for years, but the concept
of a chainsaw carver using it
was a little different.
“Everybody is hunting to
make things easier and when
somebody pulls out a new tool,
well we are all going over there
to check it out. That’s how art
progresses.”
In addition to his willingness
to experiment, Dayton‘s lifelong
passion for hunting, fishing and
trapping has also added to his
understanding of the intricate
details of animals and other
wildlife.
“There’s no substitution for
knowledge,” Dayton said.
“People carve what they envi-
sion, whether it’s right or
wrong. Some people are just a
little more right than others on
what their vision looks like.”
In addition to a passion for
chainsaw art, many of the
friends who visit the Scoggins
are also outdoor enthusiasts,
including renowned sculpture
Dennis Beach. Beach and
Dayton partnered in the Husky
Cup chainsaw carving competi-
tion in Germany this year and
won the World Cup.
“For me, carving is easy, it is
a matter of getting inspired,”
Beach said. “I have so much fun
hanging out with Dayton that
it’s easy to get inspired.”
Beach said that when he visits
the Scoggins, he feels like a high school kid again, only
they have a bigger selection of toys now, such as a bull-
dozer and other equipment.
“Dayton seems like somebody I’ve known all my life,”
Beach said. “I feel like we are cut from the same cloth. I
champion him as a true friend and I don’t say that too
often.”
Whether just hunting and fishing or whipping out
practice pieces together, it is friendships such as theirs
that seem to tie this artistic community together.
As for the Walk of Fame posts, well, that seems to be
just an added bonus. Dayton said that sometimes he
walks out on his porch, looks around and smiles. “I think
it’s pretty wild to have people come from all over to do
something like this for us and leave it. It is just really
cool.”

For more information on Dayton and Michelle Scoggins at

Artistry in Wood, visit their Web site at
www.artistryinwood.com or call (601) 649-6054.
 FEATURES | carlow choir

Singing for the Lord

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI’S CARLOW CHOIR
GAINS INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE

V TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON

Vicki Priebe was just looking for a relaxing

evening when she decided to attend a 2007
concert in Hattiesburg by classical guitarist
John DeChiaro. She had no idea the concert
would change her life.
After his performance, DeChiaro brought
out members of the Carlow Choir, a nonde-
nominational ensemble he had founded in
2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, to
bring hope to residents of storm-ravaged
South Mississippi and Louisiana.
“He was recruiting,” Priebe said. Touched
by their brief performance, she decided to
join.
“It gave me a new direction in my life,”
Priebe said. “My husband had passed away a
few years earlier.”
The choir has accomplished a great deal in
the four short years since its founding. Last
October, the choir traveled to Italy to per-
form for Pope Benedict XIV at the Vatican. In
September it recorded a concert for
Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson,
and there will be a concert at Carnegie Hall
in 2011. In November, the choir taped a con-
cert for EWTN, the Catholic television chan-
nel.
“It was a very rigorous process we had to
go through to get this,” DeChiaro said. “I’ve
been trying for two years to get this. This
will give us international exposure because
EWTN airs around the world.”
DeChiaro, a retired professor at the
University of Southern Mississippi, named the
choir after the seminary in Ireland where
many of South Mississippi’s priests were edu-
cated, so members are especially excited
about headlining a choir festival next October
at Carlow College. They will also perform at
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The tour
came about after two women wearing Carlow
Choir T-shirts were stopped in Assisi, Italy, on
their 2008 tour, by a man who was from
Carlow, Ireland. One thing led to another, and
they were eventually invited to perform at
the college.
A CD, “Reflections for the Heart: Sacred
Anthems for Choir,” was released this autumn
by Centaur Records. It was recorded in August
2008 at Southwest Mississippi Community

18 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
College in Summit.
“The music on this disk is
sacred anthems,” DeChiaro
said. “It’s what I call the best
of the Bible. There are verses
of the Bible that people set to
music, such as the 23rd Psalm.
The song ‘Weep, Mother Mary,’
describes what she must have
felt when she saw Jesus dying
on the cross. We sang these
songs on our tour of Italy.”
The approximately 150-
member choir is divided into
two groups, one that is based
in Hattiesburg and one that is
based in Alexandria, La.,
where DeChiaro is currently
employed as director of the
string music program for the
Alexandria public school sys-
tem. He makes the four-hour
drive from Alexandria to
Hattiesburg each week to work
with the Hattiesburg choir.
The members are equally as
dedicated. Some drive to
Hattiesburg from as far away
as McComb, the Mississippi
Gulf Coast and New Orleans
each Monday night for rehears-
al at River of Life Church on
U.S. 98 West.
“We love it, we love John,”
said Mary Ellen Lestrade, who
drives up from Escatawpa with
her husband, Oscar. “We first
started singing with John
about 10 years ago (when he
was choir director) at another
church on the Coast. It means
too much to us, we missed it.
Around Christmas time, we
came back.”
Alan Butner joined the tenor
section a few months ago. “One
of the ladies recruited me,” he
said. “I thought I could sing for
the Lord.”
DeChiaro said part of the
reason for the choir’s success
is that it “becomes the voice
of God” during performances.
“Whenever we give con-
certs, people are always crying
because the music touches
them,” he said.
DeChiaro, who had per-
formed on guitar for Pope John
Paul II twice at the Vatican,
said he decided to submit a
demo tape of the choir to the
Vatican on a whim. After a
lengthy acceptance process,
Carlow Choir was invited to
perform for Benedict XIV.
There’s a big difference
between performing a solo gui-
tar concert for the pope and
conducting a large choir,
DeChiaro said.
“When you’re doing it by
yourself, you just have to
worry about you, not 140 peo-
ple,” he said.
Priebe said God has His hand
on the Carlow Choir and is
blessing it.
“It’s just wonderful to see
how God has brought people
together from all denomina-
tions,” Priebe said. “When we
sing, we’re singing from our
hearts and our experience.”

CARLOW CHOIR
Rehearsals are held at 7 p.m. Monday
at River of Life Church on U.S. 98
West. Anyone interested in joining
Carlow Choir can attend.

For more information, go to

www.carlowchoir.org.

The CD is $15 and is available at

Doherty’s Furniture, Lil Butcher
Shoppe, Lovie’s and Westgate
Cleaners, and from Amazon.com
and iTunes.

a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 19
 FEATURES | daydriana rankin

“TELLING THE TRUTH”

New Year’s
Resolution
Student Daydriana Rankin
stands up for Hattiesburg High

D TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VALERIE WELLS

Daydriana Rankin, 16, decided 2010 will be

the year she challenges stereotypes about
Hattiesburg High School. She’s a busy junior
with a bright future, but she will make time.
“Get to know my Hattiesburg High School.
We are not what everybody thinks we are,” she
said.
Rankin is tired of going to her little brother’s
soccer matches and people asking her about
gangs at Hattiesburg High.
“There are cliques at every school,” Rankin
said. But she doesn’t see any gang activity at
Hattiesburg High.
“Our discipline is very strict. People think we
are running around here, that doesn’t happen,”
she said as a class of quiet teenagers filed by on
their way to lunch on the quiet HHS campus.
“It’s ridiculous.”
It’s more than just idle talk on the soccer field
that riles Daydriana Rankin. It’s the local media
that she believes creates negative impressions of
Hattiesburg High. Last year, when a gun was
found on campus, several news reports focused
on crime at HHS while promoting positive activ-
ities at surrounding schools. She said it was a
misunderstanding that took on sinister implica-
tions.
“The situation was taken too far and got
blown out of proportion, making the front page
of newspapers and being the talk of the local
news media,” Rankin said.
“I’m sure that negative things happen at all
schools, but I have never seen those stories in
the news. It was then when I began to realize

20 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
that we rarely get news cover-
age about all of the positive
things that happen at HHS.”
Instead of digging up dirt on
Oak Grove High or Petal High,
Rankin prefers to take the high
road and accentuate positive
achievements at Hattiesburg
High that don’t get much press.
“I wish that people could see
all of the success produced at
our school. We have so many
successful and talented students
who are only striving to do bet-
ter,” she said. “For example, did
you know how great our foren-
sics team is? Or have you ever
heard our chamber and concert
orchestra? Or have you visited
some of our great vocational
classes?”
She admits she has seen a
small shift in the media cover-
age of HHS this year, but wants
to see more positive stories and
more consistency. She’s working
with HHS Principal Robert
Sanders to create a group of
HHS students who will question
negative reports and promote
positive news. One possibility is
a Web site updated by students.
Rankin has more ideas. It adds
to her commitments.
“She’s a good student,”
Sanders said. He pointed at her
sitting in one of her favorite
spots on campus, the gazebo.
“We are very happy to have
her.”
She gets up at 6 a.m. on
weekdays. She goes to history
class, then physics, then psy-
chology. After lunch, she has
trig, Spanish II, AP English and
orchestra. She has to practice
her violin for the upcoming
Christmas concert that includes
a five-act piece of music. She’s
in BETA Club, the National
Honor Society, Student Council,
Future Business Leaders of
America, Poetry in Motion Club,
Hattiesburg Del-Teen, Southern
Mississippi Youth Orchestra,
Spanish Club and Forrest
General Spirit Girls. She’s con-
templating a run for student
body president this spring.
She’s also competing in the
Forrest County Junior Miss pro-
gram and trying to get her room
painted the right shade of pur-
ple.
“After school I always have
some kind of meeting, practice,
or something to do and after
finally arriving home I have a
long list of homework to do all
before getting ready for bed to
do it all over again,” Rankin
said.
“It’s tough, but I have to pri-
oritize and maybe after I get it
all done, I get to work a little
fun into my schedule. I like to
go to parks, game rooms,
movie theaters and play sports
with close friends or family
from time to time just to have
fun and put the busy things
aside for a while.”
She has a close family. David
and Yolanda Rankin support
their daughter’s pursuits
wholeheartedly. David Rankin
said his daughter can enlighten
others about what is really hap-
pening at Hattiesburg High.
He’s proud of her graphic art.
Her daddy calls her “DayDay.”
She listens to all kinds of
music from classical to country,
but her favorite is pop. She
loves to eat strawberries. She
shops for clothes at Forever21
and Charlotte Russe. Her
favorite books include “Things
Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
and “Anthem” by Ayn Rand.
She writes poetry.
Before she attended HHS,
Rankin heard plenty of nega-
tive comments about the
school.
“Later when I actually
entered ninth grade and com-
pared the talk of outside
observers to the actual every-
day actions of the school, I
began to realize that a lot of the
outside talk was over-exagger-
ated or untrue,” Rankin said.
She is comparing colleges,
looking for the best fit among
the University of Southern
Mississippi, University of
Mississippi, University of
Maryland, University of Texas
at Austin and University of
Alabama at Birmingham She
plans to major in journalism
and communications or busi-
ness and entrepreneurship.
“Or who knows? Maybe
both.”
Rankin intends to be a
reporter and a writer, then start
her own magazine. She wants
to tell untold stories.
“I would be one of the good
journalists,” she said.
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 Holiday Glitz!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHON ALFORD
Each year the merchants along Brookway
Boulevard in Brookhaven dress their
windows lavishly in festive holiday attire.
Pink and lime green Christmas trees, feather
boas, baby dolls and toys, sparkly snowflakes
and shiny ornaments are just the beginnings
of “over-the-top” window dressings in this
small town. And did we mention lights?
Thousands of lights make every window
sparkle. This year is no exception -
Brookway Boulevard is ‘putting on the glitz!’
 HOLIDAYS | christmas is love
Christmas
TAKE BACK
TEXT BY JAMES WELCH
What can we learn from
Christmas? Every year, it seems to arrive earlier
and earlier. By the time we make it through one
Christmas, the next is just around the bend.
Seemingly before the wrapping paper is cleaned
from the floor, we begin thinking about next
Christmas.
Many of us will begin saving for next Christmas
immediately following this one and it never
seems enough. What are we trying to accom-
plish? This holiday has become more and more
stressful as time has gone on, and yet it wasn’t
meant to be this way.
Christmas began as a time of celebrating and
yet, it scarcely seems like we are celebrating at
all. There is little time to celebrate, between
fighting the crowds to buy that special gift and
planning a huge dinner. All hope of enjoyment
seems to be lost amongst Christmas tree assem-
bly and the hanging of blinking lights. Instead
of those circular wreaths representing a circle of
unending love, they seem to be representative
of the circles we run in and hoops that we jump
through to get past this holiday.
Christmas has morphed into a very different
kind of holiday. Saint Nicholas gave children
toys, but it wasn’t dependant on their behavior.
Father Christmas is widely accepted as the spirit
of good cheer, and yet our holiday is usually
rather grumpy. The tree represented the contin-
34 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
uing of life through the winter and yet our lives
through this season are unrecognizable. The
lights were for celebrating and yet often times
they are for competing these days. Presents
were to be given to others, with no regards for
ourselves. Now we teach our children to make
lists of what they want.
Prices of gifts are on the rise and with our
economic condition, what better time is there
than now to take Christmas back?
Let’s be of good cheer. Let’s celebrate with
lights, trees and carols and let’s remember what
we are celebrating. Buy a few presents, but
buy them for someone else even if they haven’t
been good. This is the time to mend shaky
friendships and heal broken families. This is the
time to love one another and enjoy a glass of
eggnog by the fire. This is the season to be jolly,
and chase a loved one around the house with a
strand of mistletoe.
Yes, this is the time to take Christmas back.
Take it back to the basics. Take it back to the
traditions. Take it back to love and compassion,
to helping those in need, with no regard for our-
selves. Let’s have a Tiny Tim kind of Christmas
and stop being a Scrooge. With any luck, the
ghost of Christmas past will take us into the past
this year, we will remember the meaning of this
treasured holiday and we will reclaim it for what
it always has been. A symbol of unending love.
 HOLIDAYS | gifts ideas
MAKING A LIST
checking it twice...
TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON
O Out of ideas for unique
Christmas gifts for family and
friends? Get out your list and
start checking them off, because
several South Mississippi retail-
ers have lots of ideas to help.
Seasonal decorative items are
always good, suggests Gail
Albert, owner of Plums and A
Gallery in downtown
Hattiesburg.
“Before Gail Pittman stopped
making pottery in Jackson, we
had her make us a limited edi-
tion ornament,” Albert said.
There are only 100 of the star-
shaped collector’s piece.
She also recommends the
pewter pieces by Maurice
Milleur of Gulfport, whose
magnolia ornament hung on the
White House Christmas tree,
and the reed diffusers and other
Frasier Fir scented items by
Thymes. “It smells exactly like
a Christmas tree,” Albert says.
Brushfire Design ornaments
made in Hattiesburg are only
$16 and can be personalized,
Albert says. Shapes include
crosses, angels and animals,
and there are designs for sol-
diers, a variety of professions,
and even Harley-Davidson
enthusiasts. There are also
designs for baby’s first
Christmas, brides and grooms
36 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
and first homes.
Personalized items are great
choices, says Connie Hooper,
owner of Engravables in
Brookhaven. “We have a few.
Personalized necklaces with
children’s names on sterling sil-
ver disks, the Prayer Bracelet,
monogrammed refillable soft
soap dispensers, monogrammed
cake pans and cutting boards.”
For women, Hooper suggests
personalized bamboo cutting
boards and metal can pans with
lids, or engraved jewelry. For
men, she suggests a leather
money clip front pocket wallet
or anything in camouflage.
“Although we sell a great
deal of single initial gifts for
last-minute gifts, our customers
are planning ahead and doing
monograms and names on gifts
to make them personal,”
Hooper says.
Foodies will appreciate gadg-
ets such as microplaners or Le
Creuset cookware, says Julie
Hall at the Kitchen Table in
Hattiesburg.
“People are always coming in
for gadgets,” she says. “Right
now people are looking for hol-
iday Bundt pans and seasonal
cookie cutters. They also like to
get our made in Mississippi
food product gift bags.”
If gourmet food products are
what you have in mind, you
can find many “made in
Mississippi” products in South
Mississippi gift shops.
Hattiesburg chef and restau-
rateur Robert St. John also has
his own RSJ food products line
which includes a bloody mary
mix that got a shout-out in
Oprah Winfrey’s O at Home
magazine last year. New to the
line this year is Thick Thick
Thick Maple Praline Syrup and
My Grandmother’s Pancake
Mix.
“We introduced the Rich Rich
Rich Hot Chocolate Mix last
year,” says Stacey Andrews,
marketing director for St. John’s
New South Restaurant Group.
“In less than two months, we
sold over 3,000 pounds. It’s so
rich and thick, we say it’s like
pudding in a cup, and you
make it with water. The cinna-
mon shortbread cookies are
delicious and pair nicely with
the hot chocolate. The combo
makes great teacher gifts, client
gifts, hostess gifts, just to name
a few.”
RSJ books and products are
available at
www.robertstjohn.com and at
speciality food stores through-
out Mississippi.
HOLIDAYS | dispatches from my south
 10 QUESTIONS
WITH ROBERT ST. JOHN
TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON
I Hattiesburg restaurateur and
chef Robert St. John has pub-
lished his eighth book, a compi-
lation of his syndicated news-
paper columns, just in time for
Christmas. “Dispatches From
My South” also features his Top
40 recipes and 20 new ones. He
will have signings on Dec. 3 at
Sisters By Design in
Brookhaven, and on Dec. 7 at
Main Street Books in downtown
Hattiesburg and Dec. 23 at
Books a Million in Hattiesburg.
St. John, who owns the
Purple Parrot Cafe and
Crescent City Diner, is also
launching a nonprofit organiza-
tion, Extra Table, that enables
restaurants to contribute to
food charities. If that wasn’t
enough, he has his own gour-
met food product line and is
shopping a pilot for a TV show,
“Eating the South,” to the net-
works.
1. W HO ’ S YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITY
CHEF ?
If it’s a chef on television, I
like Anthony Bourdain. He’s
the real deal. I like Andrew
Zimmern, too. I’ve done an
episode of “Bizarre Foods” with
him, and he is a very nice,
charming, and humble man.
John Besh is a good friend. I
admire his work. My favorite
chef is probably Thomas Keller
of the French Laundry, he’s in a
class all by himself.
2. D O YOU WATCH ANY OF THE COOK -
ING COMPETITION SHOWS , LIKE
C HEF ” OR “I RON C HEF ”?
“TOP
W OULD YOU EVER COMPETE ON ONE
OF THEM ?
I like “Top Chef.” Watching
“Iron Chef” makes me too nerv-
ous. I would love to judge one
of those shows. I’d be a terrible
contestant on that type of for-
mat. My cooking style and culi-
nary interests are very limited.
3. W HAT ’ S THE ONE INGREDIENT YOU
CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT AS A CHEF ?
Creole seasoning.
4. W HAT ’ S THE ONE GADGET YOU CAN -
NOT LIVE WITHOUT ?
At home, I love my cast iron
skillet. Though, I probably use
a six-inch omelet pan more
often.
5. Y OU JOT DOWN COLUMN IDEAS ON
EVERYTHING FROM NAPKINS
RECEIPTS , AND EVEN USE THE NOTES
FUNCTION ON YOUR I P HONE . A RE
ORGANIZED ?
My notes are scattered every-
where. Early on in my writing
career, I would have an idea, I
would flesh it out in my mind,
and then I would tell myself to
remember the idea. I never
remembered it. Two years later,
something would trigger a
memory and I would think of it
again. It made me mad that I
had forgotten it. That’s when I
started taking notes. They’re
everywhere. If I think of some-
thing that is worthy of fleshing
out, I write it down. I have
Mead Five Star 9-inch note-
books everywhere - in my car,
by my bed, on my desk.
6. I S WRITER ’ S BLOCK EVER A PROB -
LEM , OR DO YOU EVER HAVE TROUBLE
COMING UP WITH AN IDEA FOR A COL -
UMN ?
I’m probably going to jinx
myself here, but no. So far, that
hasn’t been a problem, probably
TO
because I have so many notes
lying around. So far, so good,
YOU
700 words a week, 52 weeks a
year, for 10 years. I’ve never
missed a week.
7. D O YOU COOK FOR YOUR FAMILY OR
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 39
 DO YOU LEAVE THAT TO YOUR WIFE ,
J ILL ? W HAT ’ S YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE TO
COOK AT HOME ?
Jill cooks for the family, I
cook for friends. Cioppino or
Baked Shrimp and Squash (Both
of which are in the new book).
8. You travel a lot and dine in
some of America’s best restaurants.
W HAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THESE
DINING EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAVE
BROUGHT BACK TO YOUR OWN RESTAU -
RANTS ?
Tons, too many to mention. I
believe that it is vital to get out
there and see what’s happening
in the culinary world across the
country. I have always been a
firm believer in that concept. I
bring a lot of ideas back here
and we implement them in our
restaurants. It’s the only way to
stay fresh and on the cutting
edge.
I also send our chefs and
managers out to restaurants all
of the time, to dine and discov-
er in cities all across the coun-
try, you just don’t hear from
them because they don’t write
about it. Though you do eat the
results of their research and
development when you visit the
restaurants.
9. W HAT ’ S THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL
RESTAURANT ?
Most of the textbooks will tell
you: Location, location, loca-
tion. That’s bunk. It’s:
Management, management,
management. No question.
Good management can over-
come a poor location, but poor
40 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
management will close a good
location. All of our restaurant’s
daily successes are a result of
management (not me, the man-
agers) following through on our
policies and goals. Conversely,
when we drop the ball, it’s usu-
ally due to management not fol-
lowing through on our mission.
I’m proud to say that our
management team is the best in
the state. We are hitting on all
cylinders right now. Our suc-
cess is 100 percent due to their
hard work.
10. A RE YOU EVER SURPRISED AT HOW
SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE ? W HEN YOU
STARTED OUT, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE
DOING ALL THE THINGS YOU ’ RE DOING
NOW ?
I don’t really think of myself
as all that successful. I’m just a
lucky guy who’s been in the
right place a few times.
Seriously, that’s not false mod-
esty. There are hundreds of
people who are more talented
and dedicated, I just worked
really hard early on, got a lot of
help from friends and associates
through the years, and got a
few lucky breaks.
No, I never imagined any of
this. I just wanted to own my
own restaurant, partly because I
could wear whatever I wanted
to work. I didn’t want to wear a
tie everyday and I wanted to be
my own boss. Other than a deep
passion for restaurants and
food, that’s about as far into it
as my thought process took me.
I am a very lucky and blessed
guy, I try to never forget that,
and I thank God multiples times
every day.
Muz’s Fudge Cake
(Brownies)
4 squares Baker’s chocolate
2 sticks butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
1 cup nuts, chopped
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt chocolate and butter
together in a double boiler. Once
incorporated, let cool slightly.
Cooled chocolate should still be
liquid in form.
Mix together the four eggs and
gradually add the two cups of
sugar until completely incorpo-
rated. Slowly pour the slightly
warm chocolate mixture into the
egg/sugar mixture, making sure
not to scramble the eggs.
Carefully incorporate the flour
into the chocolate/egg mixture.
Add vanilla, nuts, salt and mix.
Line a pan with waxed paper
or parchment. Pour in the choco-
late mix. Bake at 350 degrees
approximately 30 minutes or
until an inserted toothpick
comes out clean.
Remove from oven. Let cool
for five minutes. Carefully flip
the fudge cake and finish cool-
ing. Once cooled completely,
remove waxed paper and cut into
squares. Makes 12-14 brownies.
 Read any
ADD THESE MISSISSIPPI-CENTRIC BOOKS TO YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST
TEXT BY REBA J. MCMELLON
“THE STATE OF JONES,”
BY SALLY JENKINS AND
JOHN STAUFFER,
$27.50, DOUBLEDAY.
“The State of Jones”
is based in Jones County
during the Civil War. You
can’t have grown up in or lived around
Mississippi long without hearing some-
one refer to Jones County as “The Free
State of Jones.” It’s a great subject
and a great idea for a book.
The story enfolds Newton Knight, an
antislavery farmer from Jones County.
Knight deserted the Confederate Army
and led an insurrection against the
Confederacy from 1863 to 1865.
We’ve often heard that the Civil War
was a plantation owner’s war fought by
planters. Known as strong independent
Irishmen, the citizens of Jones County
decided against it.
Though meticulously researched, the
book is a little rigid in style and lacks
an easy Southern flow. The authors
weave in a personalized story using
Southern slang that comes off a little
condescending. Knight sounds more like
a hillbilly than a man from Ellisville.
The authors included a lot of extempo-
raneous war information, erring on the
side of an academic history book with
unnecessary words such as conscripted
and detritus and pestilential.
Sally Jenkins lives in New York City.
John Stauffer is chair and professor at
Harvard University and lives in
Cambridge, Mass.
“IN THE SANCTUARY OF
OUTCASTS,” BY NEIL
WHITE, $25.99,
WILLIAM MORROW.
As the former publish-
er of New Orleans maga-
zine, Coast magazine
and Coast Business Journal, Neil White
has arguably left his mark from one end
GOOD BOOKS lately?
of Mississippi to the other, and not
always in a good way.
“In the Sanctuary of Outcasts” is a
memoir of White’s time in federal
prison for check kiting. The author
makes a stab at adding new meaning to
white color crime.
The strength of the book is less
about White and more about the last
leper colony in mainland America,
located in Carville, La., on the same
grounds as the federal prison. That part
is incredible.
This book describes people and cir-
cumstances most of us blindly miss. The
reader will find grace and the extraor-
dinary where it’s least expected and
will come away with a reminder of lov-
ing your neighbor but not always trust-
ing them.
Neil White lives in Oxford.
“HIGHWAY 51:
MISSISSIPPI HILL
COUNTRY,” PHOTO-
GRAPHS BY GLORIA
NORRIS, INTRODUCTION
BY RICK BASS, $40, UNIVERSITY PRESS
OF MISSISSIPPI.
What do Nesbit, Tillatoba, Duck Hill,
Winona, Pickens, Batesville and Canton
have in common? Highway 51. From
Memphis to Jackson, Highway 51 runs
through small town Mississippi. The 90
photographs that make up this large,
color book are simple yet profound.
No text is necessary; the photos
speak for themselves.
Gloria Norris was born in Holcomb in
1937, and graduated magna cum laude
from the University of Southern
Mississippi. She moved to New York City
and entered the literary world and has
never lost her love for Mississippi.
“Highway 51; Mississippi Hill County”
deserves a prominent place on the cof-
fee table of all who appreciate genuine
rural life.
“HISTORIC PHOTOS
MISSISSIPPI,” TEXT AND
CAPTIONS BY ANNE B.
MCKEE, $39.95, TURNER
PUBLISHING.
Authentic, historic and
captivating, this book of
photography and text is an enjoyable
pictorial history of Mississippi in
chronological order. It begins in the
1860s and ends in 1976 when Gerald
Ford campaigned in Mississippi.
“Historic Photos of Mississippi”
includes interesting and fascinating
facts that will both entertain and
inform.
Included are the great flood of the
1920s, Johnny Carson as a student at
Millsaps College and an underground
nuclear explosion in Lamar County in
1964. This coffee table book is a must
for Mississippi libraries.
Anne B. McKee lives in Meridian.
“GREEDY BONES,” BY
CAROLYN HAINES,
$24.99, ST. MARTIN’S
PRESS.
Just when you think
your brain’s about to
explode, here comes a
new installment of Carolyn Haines’
Bone series. Always a breath of fresh
air, protagonist Sarah Booth Delaney
brings mystery and mischief to the
Mississippi Delta in “Greedy Bones.”
Whether you’re already a fan or
newcomer, you’re sure to enjoy this
work of fiction. It’s hard to tell who
would be more entertaining, Sarah
Booth Delaney, P.I./actress or
Mississippi author Carolyn Haines.
You can’t go wrong with either.
Carolyn Haines is from Lucedale,
and has slid just across the state
line to Semmes, Ala. She teaches
writing at the University of South
Alabama.
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 41
 Glass HOUSES
ARTIST DONNA WOODS’ HAND-PAINTED
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS DEPICT LOCAL HOMES

A
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE BLOM

An old cedar chest holds remnants of Donna

Woods’ very first craft projects, most likely sal-
vaged from Vacation Bible School. When she was
13 years old, she painted her first mural on the
wall of her cousin’s bedroom, a depiction of
Holly Hobbie, the blue-bonneted little girl char-
acter popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. At 50, Woods
is still using her artistic ability to manage her
own interior design business, Southern Art, as
well as to hand paint Christmas ornaments.
In her small studio attached to the black and
white checkered-floor kitchen of her Hattiesburg
home, Woods meticulously paints houses, or
other images, onto clear glass orbs on commis-
sion. Each house ornament takes her about one
or two hours. She asks her clients to give her 3-4
photos of the houses to work from. Woods says
the idea just came to her before she fell asleep
one night about eight years ago.
“I just think the good Lord gave me that
idea,” she says.
Many of her patrons are from church. Woods
believes her best advertising being word of
mouth. One year, she said, someone placed an
order for 20 of the same barn. Another customer
ordered 30 ornaments for her Sunday school
class. But mostly, people place orders of their
own homes to give to family members or friends.

a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 43
 After graduating from
Lamar University in Beaumont,
Texas with a bachelor’s degree
in interior design and a minor
in art, Woods moved to
Natchez to be closer to the
antebellum homes she loved to
study. Under her mentor and
boss, now deceased designer
Hal Garner, Woods learned a
lot about historic eras and
restoration of old homes and
antiques. To this hands-on edu-
cation she attributes her ability
to not only paint homes but the
faux finishing and murals, cabi-
net glazes, hand-painted furni-
ture, accessories and antiques,
house portraits, pen & ink com-
missions for personal stationer-
ies and such, and ornaments.
“Anything that stands still,
44 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
I’ll paint on it. If you stand still
long enough, I may just paint
on your face!” she jokes, a
pewter painter’s palette pinned
to her red shirt.
Woods loves the business of
art.
“There are always new
things in design. New types of
products, every person you
work with is new. Every person
brings a new experience, and I
love people. I love helping
them,” she says.
In the late ‘80’s, Woods’
vocational calling was tested,
and she returned to school to
get her teaching certificate. She
learned this was a mistake. She
taught junior high for less than
one year in Texas.
“I realized the hard way I
did not have the teaching gift. I
have the talent and skills, but
not for teaching. And that’s
OK.”
Shortly after, Woods
returned to Mississippi where
she landed a job at Hederman
Brothers, a printing company in
Jackson. She also joined
Broadmoor Baptist Church,
where she met her husband,
Gary Woods. Another connec-
tion she made at church was
with Don Baker, who commis-
sioned a painting that Woods
says “put her on the map.”
This job brought back to her
love of old houses.
As an engagement gift,
Baker wanted her to paint the
Windsor Mansion, a ruined
antebellum home in Claiborne
County, from a Union soldier’s
sketch. She was asked to put
the painting on display at an
antique show and soon she was
getting orders for it. She was
able to use her employee dis-
count at Hederman Brothers to
make 2,000 prints. Soon, she
was shipping her rendition all
over the country and the world,
including to Brazil, Germany
and Spain.
In ’95, Woods and her hus-
band moved to Hattiesburg,
where she worked as a rug
sales manager for Anderson,
with one of her Windsor prints
hung above her desk. About
two years later, she was looking
through the newspaper, and she
saw the Secret Gallery was
looking for a manager.
“My eyes fell on that ad. with Mississippi on one side,
Again, I think that was God,” and on the other, the greeting
she said. “Merry Christmas, Y’all.”
Slowly but surely, she start-
ed cutting days off her work
schedule. Eventually, Woods
became self-employed full time,
shifting focus to her Southern
Art interior design business,
TO PLACE ORDERS
and painting Christmas orna-
ments.
Contact Donna Woods at
For this Christmas, Woods
(601) 543-0340.
began taking orders as early as
Donna Woods’ orna-
last February. In addition to
ments are available at
house ornaments, Woods has
Main Street Books in
painted renditions of historic
downtown Hattiesburg.
buildings in downtown
Merry Christmas Y’all is
Hattiesburg, and of the Area
$10, house ornaments are
Development Partnership’s dec-
$35, and others are
orative swan. She is also cur-
$16.95.
rently working on an order for
the Hattiesburg visitor’s bureau
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 45
 HOLIDAYS | luminaries
VICTORIAN
D TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY VISIT HATTIESBURG
December would be much darker if not for
the more than 15,000 luminaries that brighten
the Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood for one
weekend each year.
The 33rd annual Victorian Candlelit Christmas
will be held the evenings of Dec. 12 and 13.
Events include horse-drawn carriage rides,
tours of two historic homes and strolling carol-
ers. Entertainment and refreshments will be at
the Walthall Center.
Victorian Candlelit Christmas is a featured
event of Hattiesburg’s Holidays in the Hub,
which includes a Holiday Art Walk at the gal-
leries in downtown Hattiesburg. Two trolleys
will circulate on Saturday, offering free rides
with stops throughout the downtown and
Historic Neighborhood districts.
Horse-drawn carriages will offer tours of the
115-acre neighborhood, located just south of
downtown, during the event. Tickets are $5 and
will be sold only at Walthall Center from dark
to 9 p.m. both nights.
Homes in the neighborhood date from 1884 to
46 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
Lights
1930 and include a variety of architectural
styles, from Victorian, Italianate and Greek
Revival to cottage. Residents of more than 400
restored homes line their sidewalks and porch
rails with luminaries - candles inside paper
bags - as well as strings of lights. Some also
include yard displays of lighted figures.
Home tours will be from 5-9 p.m. Saturday
and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Featured houses will be
the Dunn House Bed and Breakfast, 102 Short
Bay St., and Lucius Cottage, 109 Short Bay St.
Tickets are $10, which includes both houses,
and will be available at the doors and in
advance at Main Street Books. Entertainment at
the open houses will be provided by members
of the Suzuki Strings.
Court Street United Methodist Church, 609
Southern Ave., will also host an open house
Saturday evening. There will also be activities
at Bay Street Presbyterian Church, 202 Short
Bay St. and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 317
Walnut St., where the church carillon will be
played.
 The event began in 1976 as a bicentennial cel-
ebration and a way to showcase the neighbor-
hood and encourage new people to move to the
area, which was undergoing a transition. Many of
the residents then were aging, direct descen-
dants of Hattiesburg’s original settlers who were
still living in their old family homes, which were
falling into disrepair.
Barbara and Harry Ward were instrumental in
starting the Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood
Association, which sponsors the annual Victorian
Candlelit Christmas events. They bought a house
on Walnut Street in 1975 so that Harry, who was
an art instructor at the University of Southern
Mississippi, could have a studio. The Wards went
door to door, meeting their new neighbors and
drumming up support for the association.
Only a few thousand luminaries were set out
the first year. The votive candles were pur-
chased from Sacred Heart Catholic Church,
which is located in the neighborhood.
“It was probably mainly on Bay Street and
Walnut Street,” said Linda McMurtrey, who sets
out six dozen luminaries around her home on

Williams Street. “People saw the candles being

put out that day and they wanted to join in.
People were amazed at the impact that kind of
display can make.”
Now, candles are ordered four or five months
before the event. Early on Saturday, residents
collect sand from the neighborhood’s central
depository, fill white paper bags with sand and
candles, and set them out on their sidewalks.
They stay lit until the event ends each night.
Victorian Candlelit Christmas has become a
tradition for many Pine Belt families.
“I have people come by now and tell me they
went to it as kids and now they’re bringing
their kids to it,” Ward said. “That’s so heart-
warming.”
Even the residents, who put so much time
and effort into setting out the luminaries and
lighting them each night, still fall under its
spell.

a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 47
 HOLIDAYS | in the kitchen
CROWD - PLEASING RECIPES
H TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLOTTE BLOM
Holiday entertainment is
nothing without food to spice
up the festivities, so we asked
several local restaurateurs to
contribute their favorite crowd-
pleasing recipes.
In this increasingly connected
world, we tried to include food
from around the globe. The fol-
lowing are appetizers, hors
d’oeuvres or desserts ranging
from local Southern cuisine to
European and Asian. Here’s
what the food pros serve to
family and friends. Bon appétit!
BEEF NEGIMA
3 pounds beef shoulder
1 block mozzarella cheese
3 bunches green onions
Salt & pepper
Teriyaki sauce
Lay thinly sliced beef (6- by 8-
inches) on bamboo mat. Slice
mozzarella very thin and lay on
top. Top with green onions. Roll
and sprinkle beef with salt and
pepper. Wrap in plastic wrap
and put in freezer. When frozen,
remove and microwave for 1
minute, peel off wrap. Cook rolls
on grill until beef is brown. Cut
in 8 pieces and microwave again
for 1 minute under wrap to melt
cheese. Serve with teriyaki
sauce. Makes 12-15 rolls.
48 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
“A lot of (people) like it and this is
an easy recipe; it doesn’t take a long
time to make like sushi. It’s good for
parties.” – Holly Nguyen, Sakura
Restaurant, Hattiesburg
OYSTER PATTY
3 dozen oysters chopped
(reserve liquid)
2 sticks butter
3 bunches green onions and a
little fresh parsley
3/4 cup flour to make a small
roux to brown
5 cloves large garlic, chopped
Jennifer McKay at The Kitchen
fine
Table enjoys preparing holiday
1 regular white onion, chopped
delicacies for her family and
fine
friends.
5 stalks celery, chopped fine
6 dozen puff pastry patty shells
or phylo cups
Parmesan cheese, grated
PINEAPPLE HABANERO
Brown flour and a little oyster CHICKEN SALAD
liquid until brown. Add onions,
garlic and celery to wilt. Add 1/2 cup onion, chopped
chopped oysters and reserved 3 1/2 cups cooked chicken,
liquid and thicken if need be. diced
Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill 1 cup celery, chopped
patty shells or phylo cups and 1/2 cup pineapple
bake for 20 minutes at 350 1 jar Robert Rothchild Farm
degrees. Sprinkle with parmesan Roasted Pineapple & Habanero
cheese. Dip
1/4 teaspoon salt
“Made at Thanksgiving and Feta cheese (optional)
Christmas for generations and Combine all ingredients in a
passed down from Grandmother bowl.
Angeline Diliberto Corcoran (from Options: Garnish with an orange
Palermo, Italy).” - Chris McDonald slice or chopped walnuts. Serve
Family, The Bottling Company, on croissant or warm pita bread.
Hattiesburg Put in pastry cups for a cocktail
PREPARED BY AREA CHEFS
pick up.
“My favorite thing to make year
round is Pineapple Habanero
Chicken Salad. It’s great as an
appetizer on crackers, wonderful
on a buttery croissant for a lunch-
eon, and since it doesn’t have may-
onnaise, it’s tailgate friendly. I
like to add feta cheese, it cuts down
the heat of the habanero if that is a
concern. You can pick up a rotis-
serie chicken. The jar of Robert
Rothchild Farm Roasted Pineapple
& Habanero Dip is also good just
over cream cheese with crackers.”
–Jennifer Mckay, The Kitchen
Table, Hattiesburg
CAPTAIN’S CHEESE BAKE
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
cheese
2 green onions, chopped
6 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and
crumbled
1/2 cup Captain Rodney’s
Pepper Glaze
Mix mayonnaise, cream cheese,
cheddar and onions in greased
quiche pan. Top with crackers
and bake at 350 degrees for 15
minutes. Top with bacon and
Captain Rodney’s Sweet &
Spicy Pepper Glaze. Serve with
crackers.
“This dish is so addictive, nick-
named ‘Christmas Crack’ because
it’s so addictive and people just go treat that I can never go without
nuts. We know someone’s served it are my famous Peanut Butter
at Bunko, a Christmas party, a tail- Balls. They are fast and easy to
gate party or something when we make and I have been making them
have numerous requests of where to for years.” - Tara Graham, Tara’s
find the bottle and recipe …” Cakes, Hattiesburg
–Jennifer Mckay, The Kitchen
Table, Hattiesburg
TRADITIONAL CORN SALAD
2 cans whole kernel corn
1 tomato, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 small jar pimiento
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Black pepper and salt, to taste
“It is a family favorite. We make it
every year at Thanksgiving and
Christmas.” – Bonnie Jackson,
Leatha’s Bar-B-Que, Hattiesburg
PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
1 cup peanut butter
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Combine and form into balls.
Chill.
Then melt:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
Dip balls in melted chocolate
using toothpicks and let harden.
“One of my family’s and friends’
all time favorite party and holiday
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 49
 “500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star
5-Ingredient Recipes,” by
Gwen McKee and Barbara
Moseley, and “Best of the
Best” state cookbook series
cost $16.95 each. To order,
call Quail Ridge Press at 800-
343-1583, go to www.quail-
ridge.com or
www.amazon.com, or purchase
at local bookstores or Cracker
Barrel stores. The publisher
also offers a coupon book with
discounts on the state cook-
books. Call 800-343-1583 to
request a free coupon book.

C O O K B O O K L A D I E S M A K E I T FA S T & FA B U L O U S
TEXT BY ROBYN JACKSON

G PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GWEN MCKEE

Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley are known

as the “Cookbook Ladies” on QVC, where they
make frequent appearances to sell their numer-
ous “Best of the Best” cookbooks. They’ve sold
more than 2.5 million copies since they were dis-
covered during a nationwide search for unique
products from each state 12 years ago.
“They chose ‘Best of the Best From
Mississippi’,” McKee said, referring to one of the
first books in what is now a 50-book roundup of
recipes from the best cookbooks published in
each state. “They had a show in Jackson (that
was broadcast nationally). We sold out in 20 min-
utes.”
McKee is editor-in-chief of Brandon’s Quail
Ridge Press, and she has been appearing on QVC
for 12 years. Moseley, who sometimes appears on
the television shopping channel with McKee, has
been her writing partner for 30 years.
Their “Best of the Best” series is carried in
Cracker Barrel stores nationwide. Their other
cookbooks include “Fast & Fabulous Party Foods
and Appetizers,” “Best of the Best From Bell’s
Best Cookbook,” “Beyond Grits and Gravy,” and
the Recipe Hall of Fame cookbook series.
McKee founded Quail Ridge Press in 1978 with
her husband, Barney. The first book they pub-
lished was “The Twelve Days of Christmas
Cookbook,” and a 30th anniversary edition was
published in 2008. McKee and Moseley have also
written the Recipe Hall of Fame cookbook collec-
tion.
McKee said her goal is to preserve America’s
food heritage, one recipe and cookbook at a time.
She and Moseley traveled to each state to find
the cookbooks that they included in each state
volume. The softcover books are comb-bound to
lay flat and include photos and trivia about each
state, as well as 300-500 recipes.
One of their most recent - and popular - books
is “500 Fast & Fabulous Five-Star 5-Ingredient
Recipes,” which is targeted at people who want
to cook but are intimidated by long lists of ingre-
dients or complicated steps.
“This book in particular addresses the young
mother who is so busy,” Moseley said.
If you want to entertain this holiday season but
don’t have time for complicated recipes, try these
crowd-pleasers from “500 Fast & Fabulous Five-
Star 5-Ingredient Recipes.”

50 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
 PINEAPPLE CHEESE BALL

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1/4-cup chopped bell pepper
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups chopped pecans, divided
In medium bowl, blend all ingredients, except 1/2 cup nuts. Chill 1-
2 hours. Form into a ball and roll in remaining nuts. Serve with
crackers on a decorative plate.
Optional: Substitute fresh pineapple for canned and shape cheese
ball into a pineapple shape (flatten the top, score appropriately,
then put the cut-off green top of the fresh pineapple on top.
Surround with crackers on a decorative platter.)

SUNBURNED POTATO BITES

8-10 small potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons bacon drippings
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush potatoes with bacon drippings.
Roll in mixture of cornflake crumbs, paprika and salt. Place in
greased baking pan and bake 40 minutes until fork-tender.

PULL-APART PARMESAN WEDGES

1 8-count can flaky jumbo biscuits

1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1/2 tablespoon onion flakes
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Cut biscuits into four wedges. Place melted butter, parsley and
onion flakes in bottom of 9-inch pie pan. Wedge biscuits in pan and
sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

FIVE-MINUTE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

1/2 store-bought chocolate cake

1/2 cup Kahlua or strong coffee
2-3 4-pack packages snack-size chocolate pudding
1 12-ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 8-ounce package Heath toffee bits
Break cake into chunks and layer 1/2 into a trifle dish. Pour 1/2 the
Kahlua or coffee over this, then 1/2 of the pudding cups, 1/2 the
whipped topping, then 1/2 the toffee bits. Repeat layers.
Optional: If you can’t purchase a chocolate cake at the supermarket,
this trifle can be made with pound cake, brownies, Twinkies or even
frozen cake. You can make your own cake and pudding, but making
the trifle will take longer.

LEMON CHEWIES

1 18 1/4-ounce box lemon cake mix

2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cake mix with eggs, oil and lemon
extract until well blended. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into a bowl
of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly cov-
ered. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-9 minutes, until
golden.
hattiesburg’s downtown entertainment destination
 IN

54
a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i 55
 LIFE IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI | james welch
3 G reat R esolutions
A ND WHY IT WILL BE EASIER THAN EVER
TO KEEP THEM IN
E TEXT BY JAMES WELCH
Every year, millions of people around the globe
somehow pull through the stresses that come with
holiday preparation and make it to the fun and
laughter that follows. We plan a huge feast and
buy a lot of gifts. We eat too much for
Thanksgiving and receive too many presents for
Christmas. With our stomachs full and our closets
a little harder to close, we press forward to New
Year’s.
The new year is the time of year when we get the
chance to press the reset button. On New Year’s
Eve we traditionally set our resolutions and on
New Year’s Day we begin to follow them. Some are
gold medalists when it comes to crossing these
hurdles and others never get off the bench, but this
year could be different.
SLOW DOWN AND MAKE TIME FOR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
We have all thought of this one before, even if it
wasn’t as a New Year’s resolution. Technology has
always been intent on simplifying our lives and yet
never delivered. For some reason the plan seemed
to backfire, and all those conveniences just hin-
dered us further or were replaced by something
else equally stressful.
There’s good news, though. Amazing things are
happening in technology and more people than
ever are beginning to stay connected through the
various methods available. By most estimates,
millions of people are using some form of social
networking Web site. The most popular are
Facebook, My Space and Twitter. These sites
allow us to reconnect with friends that we
haven’t talked to in years. This resolution should
be easier to keep this year than ever before.
GET IN SHAPE
The problem with getting in shape has proba-
bly always been convenience. We go to work
every day and when we finally head home in the
56 a cc e n t s o u t h m i s s i s s i p p i
2010
evening, the last thing that we want to do is
head to the gym.
Now things have changed. Twenty-four hour
gyms have sprung up all across the country and
healthy food is easier to get than ever; most fast
food chains even carry healthy food now. I know
lots of people who work out in the wee hours of
the morning to beat the crowd and have the
whole gym to themselves. So this year can be
different. This year, we can do it.
GET OUT OF DEBT
This may be the most important resolution to
stick to in these rough economic times. The opin-
ions vary greatly on the best way to handle all
the different aspects of our finances, but I don’t
think you’ll find any experts that can honestly
tell you that shedding some of the debt is a bad
thing. It won’t be easy, but it doesn’t mean that
it’s impossible.
We need to find creative ways to eliminate the
debt that we already have. Clean the house and
have a yard sale. Most of us have lots of things
all around the house just waiting to be sold, and
bargain-hunters are hitting yard sales more than
ever. Or you could always try the online market
and sell your stuff for a small fee.
Find new and creative ways to spend less on
entertainment. Have a family movie night and
eat microwave popcorn rather than go to the
movies. Take turns cooking for each other at
home rather than eating out. This would also be
a great time to break out the old dusty board
games and show the kids a thing or two.
This is also the time to get organized. Keeping
track of your spending and income can help you
to identify which areas need improvement. Make
a budget. This recession won’t last forever, but
now is the time to find the motivation to get out
of debt, and organization is the way to do it.