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Pilgrimage lineup gets a few all-TOUR-ations
Published Friday, July 11, 2008
NATCHEZ — Change is inevitable — even in Natchez.
And lately one of Natchez’s most unchanging institutions has been seeing what many agree is a highly unusual amount of change.
On July 2 Jim Coy unexpectedly resigned from his position as director of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours.
Coy’s wife, Ruthie, also unexpectedly resigned from her position as President of Pilgrimage Garden Club.
And just before the Coy’s disassociated themselves with the garden club community several new properties were added to, and removed, from the roster of homes to be toured during Fall and Spring Pilgrimage.
Interim director of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours Marsha Colson said this amount of change in such a short perioud of time is anything but normal.
“It’s highly unusual,” she said. “Any change can be stressful.”
But while Colson said change has the potential to cause stress in the home tours community, things are going smoothly.
“We’re doing well,” she said.
New houses on the Fall Pilgrimage will include the Stone House, Oak Hill, Rip Rap, Pleasant Hill and Texada.
For the Spring Tour, The Elms, Texada, The Burn, The Governor Holmes House and Airlie have been added to the lineup.
The Natchez Pilgrimage Homeowners Association decides which houses are put on, and taken off, of the fall and spring lineup.
Acting President of the homeowners association Anne MacNeil said all of the new additions have their own unique offerings.
“Each one is special,” she said.
While MacNeil also acknowledged the unusual aspect of all the recent changes, she said the new lineup of homes on tour would strengthen the tours.
And the new lineup runs the really runs the gambit.
Some have not been on tour for years, some will pull double duty on fall and spring tour and some are on tour after newly completed renovations.
MacNeil said houses removed from the tour like Monmouth and Bontura, were removed at the request of the homeowners.
The Governor Holmes House, owned by Michael and Eugenie Cates, will be on both the fall and spring tour for the first time since the mid 1970s.
“It’s going to be challenging to keep it tidy all the time,” Eugenie said, since her family lives in the house. “But we’re happy to be selected.”
Colson, like MacNeil, said the new houses on tour like the Holmes House should serve as an attracting factor for Pilgrimage Tours.
“It’s going to be good,” she said of the upcoming seasons.
Comments
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 1:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Colson is interm director of the Pilgrimage Tours, sells real estate and is the director of the United Way? What exactly qualifies her to do anything but sell real estate?
Can one person do justice to all of these jobs? I guess the person who orginally posted on this subject was right, it's not what you know it is who you know.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 6:51 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lets see how long this will last.
Posted by bellesouth (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Geez, sil, that was rude!
Posted by nolahifi (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think I know you SIL, did you win the GHI at Sluggo's? I think I know what you said up there too. Excellent.
Posted by rhymeandreason (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
marsha colson is an individual with strong values, high energy and a sincere interest in the community. thanks marsha for stepping up to the plate when there was a real need for continuity.
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I heard for a while Monmouth was going to get out of this tour business. There just isn't enough money in it for them to fool with it anymore. Everybody needs to read the tea leaves on this article. The tourism industry is suffering and the numbers are way down. When one of the biggest so called tour attractions in Natchez says no more tours,well I think that is enough said. To have staff to take care of the few tourists, the wear and tear for peanuts is just not worth it. They can make much more money off of weddings and dinners that make the big bucks. How many tourists would have to stomp and gawk at the place to make 15000$ or 25000$ like they do on some big rich family weddings on one weekend? I don't blame them, I would follow the money too. The only shame here is Monmouth used the visitors center (taxpayers) and tax paid employees to advertise its property and get the name out for years, not to mention tax breaks they get for being a historic property. Now that it is big and established and known everywhere , well, we don't need the tourist market anymore. We just want the weedings and be a mini hotel. Thanks Natchez tours but no thanks, we have had enough! The title of this article sould have been " Tour shake up, Not a good sign of tourism health in Natchez"
Posted by bellesouth (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Monmouth is a tourist attraction and they pay their own advertising. You are not really making a lick of sense Enema. When tourist come to town everyone benefits.
Posted by james (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NOT EVERYONE !
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The reason Monmouth is getting off Sping Tour is due to their desire to use the downstairs of the main house for dining and private parties...so it will no longer be setup as a private home on tour. Its a business decision. Period.
Adding new homes to tour is a way of offering variety to Spring and Fall. Most repeat visitors to Natchez have seen the same houses over and over again. This is not a sign of decreased tourism, its a way to expand....and BTW, it was the Coy's brain child to add so many new houses.
As for Marsha Colson, she was already handling marketing for NPT, so it was a natural fit for her to be asked to be the interim director until a replacement for Jim Coy is identified. Don't chase her off with negative comments!
The tour homes belong to those who own them, but Natchez history belongs to everyone who lives here. Everyone shares and gains from tourism and if you are to stupid to understand this, go back to the woods and stay there.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Doesn't Bontura belong to the Coy's who both just quit their "tourist/pilgrimage" positions? What is going on here?
Sayitloud - please email me what you said! I have been out of town all day.
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on July 12, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The question is, how many full time jobs can one person have and be paid for?
Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 12:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Every year at Pilgrimage,some tourists was always going the wrong way up a one way street or people were having to wait to get around the buses that stopped at the antebellum houses. Don,t see that anymore to amount to a hill of beans. The entire USA and the whole world driven by fuel costs and many other factors is changing at a frightning speed. EVERYONE is cutting back in some way,others are cutting back drastically. How can anyone forsee this big tourist boom or an angel with powerderd wings sweep down in a parsec and fix tourism, It ain,t gonna happen.Tourism always has and always will benefit a certain click in Natchez,Mississippi,they know it and we all know it,so please quit blowing that superheated smoke up our rears.
The potholes away from the tourist homes will knock a frontend out from under a D-8 caterpillar...geez
Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A lot of tourists can,t afford the gas to get to work anymore or some even to the gas station. Times are changing at a very,very rapid pace, and I don,t think people are nearly as interested in the old homes as the generation that has passed on. Another Bourbon street or major party town maybe but i think tourists are going the way of gasoline prices,out of reach.
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Texasranger...you are partly right...the current generation is not as interested in the old homes are the previous ones...today the 40+ ages are more affluent, watch HGTV and want to see more and varied types of houses. Nothing wrong with Stanton Hall, but adding newer homes to the tour...homes with updated kitchens, baths, etc.... changes alot relative to the traditional tours of the past. I have a friend that is on Fall Tour and they only got $2,000 for participating. Not really what I call a windfall. They do it because they love their home and Natchez. But I fear you are right about the gas issue...it will drive a few people to Natchez who will choose to stay regional rather than drive across the country, but it also cause some just not to travel at all...I don't know what the net affect on us will be.
Freedom42...Bontura is owned by the Dr. & Mrs. Coy...plus Mrs. Coy's family home is Green Leaves. The reason they resigned from the NPT and Garden Club was due to health reasons....Dr. Coy also resigned from the Historic Natchez Foundation as well. They have no issue with NPT, tourism or any of that...no conspiracy theories needed here.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And you expect us to believe that?
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HAHAHA!!! Exactly free!!
BTW DHOLMES, Green Leaves is Ruthie Coy's AUNT'S home, not HER family home. SHE never lived there.
Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
sayitloud what did you say to get removed??? I can not believe you said anything ugly lol...
Posted by zzzzipy (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I, along with several friends, love to visit Natchez for the Pilgrimage! It's great to have some new homes on the tour. Now to get Fat Mama's open so we can eat at our favorite lunch stop!
Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you quit something suddenly theirs always a reason, your feedup or did something wrong,or theirs nothing else in it for you. ...It,s kinda like they used to do at IPCO when they didn,t need you anymore or you really fouled up. They suggested you retire or they would terminate you..ha.
They can,t open Fat Mama,s tamales because the Garden club won,t approve of the stove,s vent pipes no matter what color or material their made of.
Posted by notfromnatchez (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I, too, was quite shocked to see that something Sayitloud said was removed. LOL.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sayitloud only speaks the truth that a lot of us hold our tongue about. Many articles I read I want to remark, only to find after I scroll down to the blog section I find she has just said exactly what I would have said. so i say to myself, enough said. Hope everyone stands behind Fat Mama's.
Bloggers please go to opinion and article on mayor doing what he can do and read my input. Do you agree???
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The garden club has nothing to do with Fat Mama's. Its a small group of local property owners in the neighborhood behind the location of the new Fat Mama's that filed a law suit against the city to enforce its own building codes. Fat Mama's will be good on Canal, but I can't blame anyone living next door for not wanting a dumpster next to their bedroom window. Now that's progress!
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on July 13, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ruthie Coy's husband is "not from here". We all know the garden club can not handle that. Coy did a great job and they simply could not handle it.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
DHOLMES, are you the spokesperson now for NPT and Marsha Colson and the Coy's?. You seem to know an awful lot on what this business, and their personal business is all about.
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep I am a friend...got a problem with that? But definately not a spokesperson for NPT and Ms. Colson. Just seemed like someone should defend against all the mis-information being posted.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gosh, you know a lot about Monmouth too...As to their reasoning behind not touring any more. Oh come on you are a spokes person for all aren't you?
Honestly though I do not have a problem
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Glad you don't have a problem, not my intention to create one. I said I wasn't a spokesperson, I didn't say I wasn't friends with many of the Pilgrimage homeowners. I might be a little on the inside, but I don't have blue hair (at least I don't think I have)!
I think the homeowners are struggling with the decreasing tour volumes on one side and the blame from local folks for being the "blue hair mafia" on the other. Many of the new homes on tour are excited about the chance to participate and it seems that very few outside the homeowners association care.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So they get $2,000.00 just to particpate? Is that on top of door sales. Or does that not really matter to them. Since you are in the know? Just curious
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is not wonder that NPT is not making money if they have to pay homeowner just to be on Pilgrimage....sounds like a deal for the homeowner if that is the case, heck can I put my home on tour? It is newly decorated and an updated kitchen,,,So what if tourist do not come the $2,000.00 will come in handy, right along with that historic tax break I get (right)
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 14, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
southergirl..just when I was starting to like you...wrong again! NPT is owned by the homeowners association...legally. It was created by the Association to be the business arm of the home tours. It's legally a for profit organization, but how the tour works is that the net sales (revenue minus expenses such as advertising) is equally divided among the homes on tour. So when I said $2k above, that was the amount per home after paying all expenses (and it includes door sales). There has been years when no one got any money.
Plus, there are no historic tax credit for residential properties. I know that is hard to believe, but ask your CPA. Just because you are on the National Register does not give you any break on taxes. Now there are some state credits available if you renovate a historic property, but that is usually taken in the first year and certainly does not carry forward for years.
BTW..if you live in the historic district and have an architectually significant home, you might be on tour..I will be happy to sponsor you.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NPT was created by the Pilgrimage Garden Club and the Natchez Garden Club....with the Pilgrimage Garden Club having more pull than the Natchez Garden Club. Not the homeowners association. That may be what they call themselves now, but from the beginning NPT has been controlled by Garden Clubs (not Auburn GC though)
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We both are correct...maybe you a little more than me. The "big board" is the homeowners association who has permenant positions in the two Garden Clubs and NPT.
Look at the names on the board's of all those organizations and you will find the core group....basically the same folks.
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FYI i pretty much agree with all comments you have made. You are one of the few people on here that writes with any sense. (not because you said "maybe you a little more than me" l)lol
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks...I am amazed at some of the comments on the blog and it makes me realize that there are some very different opinions out there (Natchez). It also make me realize that there are two sides (at least) to every truth and I might not be always right (but don't tell my wife that).
I really think Natchez is a beautiful little town and with all due respect to our friends across the River, its also a very friendly place too. I travel alot and I can personally testify that Natchez is a place many people from other cities and countries would love to visit. :)
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree and am myself never amazed but on the other hand actually blown away at some of the posts'. Natchez IS a great town with a lot of opinions, which I guess is the way it should be. Keeps everyone alert anyway.
Posted by humorme (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You two get a room.
Posted by DHOLMES (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HAHAHA!
Posted by southerngirl (anonymous) on July 15, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hehehehe
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