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Tupelo visit energizes Miss-Lou regionalism group
Published Saturday, January 16, 2010
NATCHEZ — Seventeen community leaders rode a bus six hours to and from Tupelo hoping to learn the secret to the city’s success in economic and community development.
The secret may have been revealed, not in the much-touted north Mississippi city, but across the aisles of the bus, bouncing down Interstate 55 between laughs and serious conversations about the issues facing the Miss-Lou.
“The best thing that came out of the trip was, honestly, the six hours on the bus,” said Heather Malone, director of Concordia Economic and Industrial Development. “Everybody got a chance to get to know one another better.”
Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton echoed Malone’s sentiments.
“More than anything, we’ve opened up a line of communication between ourselves and Concordia Parish,” he said.
The Tupelo site visit was the first such trip for the Miss-Lou Regional Steering Committee.
The committee of local elected and business leaders was formed last year with the goal of bringing together the communities of Natchez, Vidalia and Ferriday for economic and community development.
“We’ve taken a lot of baby steps, which are giant leaps for our community,” Malone said. “(We’ve been) getting everyone around the table month after month.”
The group has been meeting for approximately seven months, mostly building dialogue between community leaders.
“Each time we meet, like Heather said, at our first meetings, everyone was kind of a little bit to ourselves, now we’re all sort of laying it out on the table,” Middleton said.
Debbie Hudson, president and CEO of the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce, said the trip energized the group
“We allowed each other to give our thoughts, good and bad, and ignited great ideas,” she said. “They were talking and keying off each other’s ideas. I think that excited them and we just need to keep that going.
“If everyone in our community could do that, think of what we could accomplish,” Hudson said. “A busload of 17 people, if we could get that energy out to the community, just think what we could accomplish.”
In Tupelo, the group met with leaders with Tupelo’s Community Development Foundation and the CREATE Foundation.
“I came back with a lot of ideas that we can quickly implement here,” Malone said.
Those ideas included:
4 Researching a tuition assistance plan that Tupelo and several other counties in the northeast Mississippi region have implemented that provides funding for area high school graduates to attend two years of community college.
Tupelo leaders told the Miss-Lou group such a program is more affordable than one might think because it provides assistance only to close the gap between available state, federal and private aid sources. Since many students who graduate already qualify for scholarships and other funding sources those who need assistance isn’t generally a great number.
4 Studying how the area might create a community development foundation. Such a foundation could provide a source for people who wish to make donations or bequeath funds to the community and have them be tax-deductible.
4 Modeling a system set up in the Tupelo region, the Miss-Lou group plans to implement more regular, informal meetings of the region’s elected officials to get them all to know one another better. That system in Tupelo has worked well, Tupelo Mayor Jack Reed Jr. said.
4 Lobbying state legislators from both sides of the river to eliminate out-of-state tuition fees for technical and community colleges within a short distance. Currently students in Concordia Parish must pay out-of-state tuition if they attend Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus.
But all of those involved caution that they committee members cannot accomplish all of these things without help from more community members.
“We’ve got to get more people involved,” Middleton said. “If you’re not happy with what’s going on, step up to the plate and ask, ‘What can I do to help?’”
And residents will be able to do just that in the coming weeks as the Miss-Lou Regional Steering Committee will host a series of informational community forums in February and March.
The first will be at a combined meeting of the area’s chambers of commerce at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center. Subsequent meetings will be in Ferriday and Natchez.
Those in attendance included: Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton, Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland, Adams County Supervisor Mike Lazarus, representatives from the area’s chambers of commerce, representatives from both local economic development authorities, and several private-sector businessmen and businesswomen.
Comments
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“The best thing that came out of the trip was, honestly, the six hours on the bus.” ........and THAT'S going to help us HOW?
Posted by kcooper (Kevin Cooper) on January 16, 2010 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gottabehappy, I think the point of what she was saying is that for literally decades our local leaders have rarely worked together. Perhaps my poor writing skills didn't make that clear.
Spending time with one another, getting to know one another would seem key in overcoming that history of infighting vs. cooperation. Our community MUST work together if we're going to succeed.
The thing the Tupelo region seems to have done well is realize that the community is better when all its leaders (city, county, business, etc.) focus on problems together.
They've obviously also had some great help from people who have donated them large sums of money through the years, but they started with little to nothing and built what they have by working together.
Our community can (and should) work together more. And, I think it's starting to happen.
Thanks.
Kevin.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry but you are missing MY point. My point is that it just sounds like a bunch of locals off in a school bus on a long trip like a bunch of children and all playing nice nice together and not killing each other instead.
They supposedly went to Tupelo to look and learn how to bring in tourists and instead I'm reading how they bonded en route. That matters not.
Maybe you should have explained and gone into more detail what they leaned and gained from this trip rather than how they bonded.
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i agree.....make Vidalia the softball / soccer center (help fund them)...when they land tournaments (and help the center get them), where do you think some of the participants will stay and eat? Maybe Natchez.
Then concentrate the LIMITED rec funds to refurb Duncan Park. Concordia Parish can market the golf at DP.
Posted by kcooper (Kevin Cooper) on January 16, 2010 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
gottabehappy, I don't think anyone (at least not that I heard) believed the trip was tied directly to tourism or directly had the goal of bringing in more tourists.
The point of the trip, I think, was to bring local leaders (government and business) together to: 1). Get to know one another better; 2). See a successful community in which regionalism appears to be working; 3). Get the leaders thinking about specific projects that could be worked on together.
That seems to be a success.
I disagree on your assertion that it matters not that the leaders bonded. I think that's a huge step. And the absolute first step before much else can get accomplished. Realizing that our neighbors are not our enemy is a huge paradigm-shift for our area.
Our area has a reputation for not working together. If a six-hour bus trip and having time for our leaders to bond together can help make headway, we may need to consider weekly bus trips. :)
Sitting around and doing nothing is not an option. So at least give the folks who went on the trip some credit for setting aside their personal lives and businesses in an effort to understand how they can help the community.
Again, obviously my poor writing/reporting skills have made this difficult for some readers. For that, I apologize.
Niderbip: Although that specific idea may not have been discussed, other similar ones were. The fact is: Concordia Parish has massively more easily developed (read: flat) industrial land than Adams County does, and development in either area would benefit the other. I think both mayors agreed that that was the case.
Thanks.
Kevin.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Then why not gather at one of them's HOUSE?
Posted by kcooper (Kevin Cooper) on January 16, 2010 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
That's a good point and, effectively, the regionalism group has been doing that. The group has been meeting regularly for the past six months or so locally.
Sometimes, however, building a team can be best accomplished by getting folks out of their usual environment and the distractions that come along with that environment. Getting that much focused time together almost by necessity would require a trip.
Plus, you got the added benefit of seeing how another group (the Tupelo region) has focused on changing their community. Taking such a trip has multiple "good" benefits.
Thanks.
Kevin.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
another waste of money is how I see it....sorry but that is my opinion.
Posted by LOVESNATCHEZ (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HOW MANY TRAILERS DID THEY SEE IN DOWNTOWN TUPELO????????????
Posted by DelBocaVista (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like history repeating itself.
In the mid-1970s, Natchez leaders formed the "Go Team" to help improve Natchez.
And the "Go Team" went to Tupelo to see how Natchez could learn from what Tupelo had done to be successful.
Does anyone else remember this?
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No DelBocaVista...what was the outcome?
Posted by fraidoclowns (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
God, what a bunch of naysayers.
Kevin, gottabehappy cannotbehappy unless he's bashing something -- be it curb ramps for the handicapped to cooperative regional economic development.
It's the nature of these boards to sit back and criticize whenever someone tries to do something positive for the community.
People like gottabehappy aren't really interested in understanding your point, so your breath is wasted on them. It's a contest to see who can stand their ground the longest.
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I fail to see how a bus trip is necessary for local loosers, oops I meant to say leaders, to take a bus trip to know each other -- that could certainly be accomplished right here at home.....
I've been to Tupelo,as many of us have (on our own nickle too by the way) yes they have more hotels, restaurants and industry, that's good, and to me it's due to the junction of so many hiways thru Tupelo- 45, 78, 278, and the Natchez Trace.... Tupelo has long had a strong furniture business....the proximity to Memphis can't hurt...plus all the lakes of Alabama, and tourism associated with Elvis, ...Tupelo bars and restaurants shut down early too, when I was there it seemed the town shut down by midnight......I was lucky to get a steak at the Outback one night at 9:00 as they were closing up.....
We have the end/beginning of the N Trace, 61 and 84, plus the MS River....., Forks of the Road and African-American History!!! But our bars stay open all night!! Oh, maybe that's why we have so many accidents and crime??? Oh, and does Tupelo have a Casino? NO!! Casinos suck your town dry, that's why.!!! Robs the poor of the little money they do get from Uncle Sam.....
I think the whole basic idea of the article- that we can improve Natchez economy from within- while it does have some merit for locals to start business and develop real estate- has a great weakness to it that we should recognize. We need influx of OUTSIDE MONEY from industry and business. What happened to Natchez? Industry LEFT TOWN and closed up shop -- IP, Johns Manville, Fidelity Tire, etc ( not that I want them back really, I kinda like things smalltown the way it is really)
But I'm glad they all had a good time, and got to party on city money ( well I assume so, as the article did not point out the source of funds, or did I miss that?)
Might as well take a bus trip, go on holiday and get off work, as I see the Mayor entertaining regularly at the Castle, I guess that's economic development too.......or is everyday a holiday for city leaders around here?
Posted by DelBocaVista (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GottaBeHappy:
Nothing happened. They drove to Tupelo and then came back saying and did nothing. They talked about the great things that Tupelo was doing but that was it.
That was when we still had IP, Johns Manville, Diamond, Armstrong, and other manufacturing plants. Plus, we had a more active oil industry.
We shall see what happens on this trip to Tupelo almost 35 years later. Will the results be the same? Who knows?
Tupelo has a community that works together and has done so for decades. Lee County has excellent public schools that are supported by the community. The furniture industry is not doing well right now. But they do have Cooper Tire, Bankcorp South, excellent medical facilities, and the new but not opened Toyota plant. Plus, they are close to Memphis and Birmingham, close to Mississippi State and Ole Miss (and has a branch of Ole Miss in Tupelo) and have a great highway system.
It would be interesting if the Natchez Democrat would research what was said in 1975 (maybe 1974) and compare it to what is said about the current trip to Tupelo.
I doubt if anyone really remembers that far back. After nothing happened, I remember people saying it was a waste of time and money with no results.
DelBocaVista
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks DelBocaVista!
Posted by DelBocaVista (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 6:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GottaBeHappy:
You are welcome.
I love the Miss-Lou and always will.
But after being around for so many years, all these "new ideas" usually turn out to be just smoke and mirrors.
DelBocaVista
Posted by hollywood (anonymous) on January 16, 2010 at 6:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope the trip was productive,,,, things I wish they would have considered....1. concordia parish residents attend co-lin and Alcorn without paying out of state tuition... 2. hunting and fishing licenses prices become more compatible.... it's cost La. residents a ton to hunt in MS.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on January 17, 2010 at 12:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NHRA wanted to build a racetrack outside the city limits of Natchez in the 70,s. They would have held 6 national events a year in Natchez and 2 larger races. They never got past first base here,even after they were told how much money that it would bring into Natchez ,same with other business who wanted to locate here,they were sent packing.Too much hassle with too many people,too many regs and rules to follow. Same story several years ago when some wanted to open a track at the airport,no go.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on January 17, 2010 at 12:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This town has turned away a lot of business. The ones who run the show here handpick who and what they want to happen. If you don,t know that you haven,t lived here very long.
Posted by BigFred (anonymous) on January 24, 2010 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Del.. you hit the nail on the head when you stated "Tupelo has a community that works together and has done so for decades".
The way I see it - we must join forces across state lines and throughout our communities in order to find that success. If it fails.. it's only because the people FAIL to step up to the plate and do their part. That will include politicians, businessmen, community organizations, educational institutions, pastorial alliances, and the main source.. the common folk. Again.. IF the regionalism efforts fail.. it's only because certain people fail to recognize the possible outcome and never step up to do their part. Those who continue to be negative and state your negative comments - let's hear your ideas rather than just comment on what's wrong - give us a way to fix things that are not working. It certainly cannot be attained without everyone taking their step in the right direction.
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