Comments by mslou44
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Posted on April 16 at 12:24 p.m.
jimi - you totally rock! Thanks for such a clear, heartfelt, and - in the words of my very wise Mammaw - a "Katie, bar the door" post - one we ALL in this community badly need to hear. She's looking down from heaven saying "rock on" too & she loves you!
Posted on April 15 at 11:26 a.m.
happyreader is right in adding the perspective about the performances the Festival does in the area schools and the wonderful community outreach they do. The kids really enjoy those events. I also know they had a very positive experience several years ago working collaboratively with a Boys & Girls Club summer performing arts program using some of the Festival's rooms and the stage.
I think there are a number of separate issues coming up as a result of what happened last week. The building is in major disrepair; it is vastly under-utilized; it is not managed & secured & supervised in an on-going, regular, daily basis; who makes decisions about which programs/people can be there; does the Music Festival lease the whole building?
Perhaps this can be seen as an opportunity - not yet another situation that divides us. Our leaders, and all those involved, need to work for solutions to come up with a clear plan, rather than just continuing the negativity, blame, tearing each other down, or (in some cases) ignoring it and hoping it will go away! I certainly hope so.
Posted on April 15 at 10:16 a.m.
I would suggest that the Mayor & Board review the entire lease carefully, not just the part that says the Natchez Festival of Music has a lease for the building for $1 year! It also says that they will maintain the building. They certainly haven't done that very well. So, my question is - are they upholding their part of the lease? Or are they in violation of the terms of their lease agreement with the City? Leases work both ways.
The other huge concern for the City should be liability. They - we - own the building. If - by the terms of the lease - the Music Festival indeed has control over the whole building, then would they not be responsible for keeping it locked, secure, safe, supervised - full time? It seems they want it both ways - they want to control who is allowed the use of the building, but don't want the responsibility that goes along with that. If they have designated spaces in the building, NOT the whole building, then it seems that the City needs to come up with a better plan for managing, supervising, securing, and maintaining the facility. What's in place now certainly isn't clear - and certainly isn't working.
That building could be a wonderful asset to the entire community, but unfortunately if something isn't done soon to begin to sort it all out, it will only deteriorate even further.
Posted on February 6 at 8:40 a.m.
Amen, kpage & firered - children's education should - HAS TO - be top priority....for our kids, first and foremost, and for the long-time health, growth, and economic development of Natchez/Adams County. One of the top factors businesses consider when considering a community for their business or industry is the quality of the education available, and the quality of life for their employees and their families. We have to wake up and do everything possible to support our children becoming all they can be as contributing, productive members of our community. It's easy to keep your head in the sand if you aren't directly affected - for example your kids are already grown - but believe me, having (or not) a quality education for all kids affects us all. The Boys & Girls Clubs programs are proven to work! And there's nothing else available like it for kids in Natchez. Thanks, ND for continuing to make the public aware of the opportunities the Boys & Girls Clubs here provide for all our kids.
Posted on January 12 at 6:38 a.m.
Thanks so much to Ricky and the Boy Scouts - and to Stines! Great job!
Posted on December 29 at 9:15 a.m.
Really good article, Kevin - and there are some good comments here. too.
I grew up here, and have lived most of my adult life away, coming back often to visit, and am now spending much more time here. frogprincenessntz defined what I've observed to be one of our fundamental problems - lack of cohesive and sustainable leadership - regardless of who is in public office. "It is the same being on a sports team, but the difference between those and the above situation is the lack of a coach or director to coordinate all the different members towards a common goal and the desire of the members for achieving a common goal." Perhaps if our elected officials were working toward a defined community goal, they might be more effective. Who knows? But if our elected officials don't have the strength, vision, support, and power to do it, we have to care enough to do it. We have "to demand that we all create a clearly communicated, common goal", as you've said, and there must be leadership to follow through with a plan to take steps toward creating the Natchez we have the huge potential to be.
Why not start with challenging the community to use the spirit of a new year beginning, and in addition to whatever personal resolutions may be made, come up with a goal for our community? Not the complaints of what's wrong, what we don't have - we know those things only too well. But take the questions - what is my vision of Natchez? What would I see as a goal for our community? What do we want to be known for and as? A "mission statement".
What would you see as a next step to start the process?
Thanks for a terrific, to the point, and thought provoking article.
Posted on December 27 at 7:37 a.m.
Rather than taking another opportunity to hash and rehash Obama, why not look at the point Julie was making? Why not take the opportunity to look at what we, average citizens of Natchez, can do to help our community grow and thrive? It's up to us - all of us - to care enough about the future of our children here to find something - even one small thing - we can do to make a difference. There's a quote I love - "be the change you want to see" - instead of complaining & doing nothing, take a step, find something you want to see changed & do one small thing toward making that happen. Thanks for an inspiring article, Julie.
Posted on December 23 at 9:13 a.m.
First on the list is public school improvements. But that responsibility doesn’t fall only on the school district’s shoulders, he said.
“The business owners and the city need to have a greater sense of ownership than we do,” Furlow said of the school system.
After-school programs like tutoring and recreation could go a long way to improving the school system and making Natchez more attractive to business developers, he said.
“They could help without interfering in the school’s autonomy,” Furlow said of a city-sponsored after-school program.
Mr. Furlow, I whole-heatedly agree. Improving education here is crucial...for our kids and for economic growth. Natchez actually already has a terrific after-school program with education at its core. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Miss-Lou hires teachers to provide tutoring and homework assistance every day after school to children 6-18. In order for the kids to participate in any of the "fun" stuff, they are required to spend at least an hour each day at the Club working on school work. They also have Club Tech - programs that teach children computer skills. The Boys & Girls Club is under-utilized, and under-supported, in part because many people have misconceptions of what it is and what it can do for our kids and our community.
This organization is nationally recognized as the one of the leading children's services programs in the world. Some of our country's most significant leaders and successful individuals have come through Boys & Girls Clubs. Strong Boys & Girls Clubs programs are markers of a community that cares about not just the immediate needs of children, but also their future. The Miss-Lou Clubs have been named one of the top 5 in the State, in spite of having very small budgets to work with. Natchez - her leaders, businesses, and citizens - need to put their support (including financial) behind this wonderful organization. Check it out.
Posted on December 19 at 6:58 a.m.
Congrats, Mark...I know your book signings will be a great success.
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Posted on April 23 at 8:33 a.m.
Good for you Daniel - sounds like a great idea! Thanks for taking the initiative (and having the skills!) to come up with a reasonable plan! Look forward to hearing more...and seeing action taken by your fellow board members.
On City talks ball fields