For the Love of Mississippi

First, let's look at the people of Mississippi through two of it's most important pastimes--football and the Blues.

Mississippi JUCOS: the Toughest Football League in America is by X.M. Frascogna, Jr., X.M. Frascogna, III, and Martin Frank Frascogna. "Mississippi JUCO football is one of the oldest and most colorful leagues in America. Tucked away in Mississippi arguably the most rabid football state of all is a self-contained, highly unique football ecosystem. The Mississippi JUCO football league, or, as the locals refer to it, JUCO ball , or simply the League , consists of fourteen Junior Colleges (now referred to as Community Colleges except for one) all inside the boundaries of Mississippi. On the surface the League has the characteristics of any small college football conference one might find at the NCAA Division II or III levels. However, upon closer examination you discover a fascinating athletic subculture. Depending on one s perspective JUCO ball could be described as a league wrapped in violence and brutality, a vicious athletic underworld. But to most of the players matriculating through the JUCO League, it is football Nirvana. Hidden from the national media JUCO teams in the Magnolia State compete for the League s Championship each year. Every game played during the season matters and many are bitter rivalries. The result is all out war from the beginning of the season to the last regular season game. The two playoff games for the League s Championship are like Armageddon I and II. The League has produced literally thousands of players who have gone on to compete at the NCAA Division I and professional levels. The number of JUCO players who go on to play at four year colleges at the Division II and III levels is staggering. However, even more impressive is the large percentage of the coaching profession who are graduates of the JUCO league. Famous JUCO coaches such as Dobie Holden, Sim Cooley, the Delta Fox Jim Randall, Bull Cyclone Sullivan, Goat Hale, H.C. Hook Stone, Joe Renfroe and A.J. Kilpatrick are spread throughout the annuls of the League. The record books bulge even more when considering the accomplishments of Bobby Ray Franklin, Parker Dykes, Billy Ward, Mike Eaton, Wooky Gray, Gene Murphy, James Sloan, Hugh Shurdon and George Sekul. Love it or despise it, Mississippi JUCO ball is unique." (Amazon.com)

Live from the Mississippi Delta by Panny Flautt Mayfield, "showcases a rare collection of photographs and stories about musicians from Robert Plant, B. B. King, and ZZ Top to local guitarists playing gigs on the weekend. Panny Flautt Mayfield, a lifelong Delta resident from Tutwiler and an award-winning journalist, documents multiple decades of blues and gospel music in her native land. Her first book collects over two hundred black-and-white and color photographs from a long career of photographing live music. Featuring text by Robert Plant in honor of Mayfield, the book opens with him addressing senior citizens gathered in Tutwiler to honor their town as the birthplace of blues. From there, the book proceeds throughout the Delta from juke joints and festivals to blues markers and museums. Mayfield presents images and tales of local icons such as Early Wright, Wade Walton, and the Jelly Roll Kings, as well as international celebrities. She shares intimate photos, including Garth Brooks and Bobby Rush charming elementary school kids in West Tallahatchie, along with insider stories and photos of B. B. King's Homecoming, the Governor's Awards, the Delta Blues Museum, the Sunflower and King Biscuit festivals, and a fascinating side trip to Norway's Notodden Blues Festival, which has a rich sister-city relationship with Clarksdale and the Sunflower Festival. Years ago volunteer tour guide Shirley Fair announced to visitors that there is a church or a juke joint on every corner in Clarksdale. Those demographics are still mostly accurate. Igniting a high-octane finale are photographs taken at iconic juke joints such as Smitty's Red Top, the Bobo Grocery, the Rivermount Lounge, Po' Monkey's, Hopson, Shelby's Dew Drop Inn, the Rose, Ground Zero, Sarah's Kitchen, Margaret's Blue Diamond, and Red's." (Amazon.com)

For a look at Mississippi's natural resources, why not try one of these?

Guide to Birding Coastal Mississippi by Judith A. Toups, Jerry Bird, and Stacy Jon Peterson highlights the wonderful birds that populate Mississippi's Gulf Coast area. "Each year a wide variety of birds and numerous birders flock to Mississippi's Gulf Coast, making it one of the most exciting bird watching locations in the US. In this definitive guidebook, three seasoned Mississippi birders lead the reader through the area's swamps, forests, and beaches, dispensing plenty of insider advice along the way. Maps and bar graphs illustrating monthly probability of occurrence ensure that, no matter what time of year, visitors will find a trip to the region to be a rewarding birding experience. Includes listings for all coastal species and the months in which they appear as well as detailed maps for Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Pearl River, Stone, George, Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties." (Alibris.com)

In Mushrooms of Mississippi and Other Fungi and Protists, George H. Dukes, Jr. takes us around the state and introduces the reader to one of the most overlooked and misunderstood organisms on the planet: Fungi. "A compendium of over 200 species of naturally occuring macroscopic mushrooms and related fungi, Mushrooms of Mississippi presents textual and photographic records on facing pages for quick and easy reference. Edible, poisonous, and hallucinogenic forms are described; the role of fungi in the environment, including saprobic and parasitic relationships, beneficial and harmful effects and habitats is documented." (Amazon.com) Dukes also includes some very cute photos of his "mushroom hunting" dogs.

Celebrate National Library Week, April 13-19 @ the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library!

National Library Week 2014 will be packed with exciting programs at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library!  This year’s theme for the week, April 13-19 is “Lives Change @ Your Library”  This year’s 56th Anniversary of this nationwide observance, sponsored by the American Library Association, celebrates libraries, librarians and the activities and information available to all people. Throughout the week, library staff and guest presenters will host programs for the community.

     National Library Week is a great time to “meet” your friends and family at the library.  Show your support of Mississippi’s Libraries, and your commitment to your community, by visiting us during this special week.  Here is a list of programs:

—Learn how to “Garden With Herbs” on Tuesday, April 15 at 12:00 PM in the library auditorium. Warren         County Master Master Gardener Joelyn James will teach participants how to grow herbs.  The event is a Brown Bag Lunch—attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and drinks and dessert will be provided by the library.  .—Now that you’ve learned how to grow herbs, attend our “Cooking with Herbs” program on Wednesday, April 16, 2014  at 12:00 PM,  hosted by Chef Chris Brinkley, of Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn.  Chef Chris will create his famous fresh herb marinade and then teach attendees how to make a bruschetta appetizer  using the marinade.    The event is a Brown Bag Lunch—attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch and drinks and dessert will be provided by the library.

 —On Thursday, April 17 at 4:00 PM,   Blues harmonica player Bobby Rush will present a “Senior Ciizens Play the Blues” where he will teach Senior Citizens how to play the harmonica.  There is a limit of 30 participants and registration forms are available at the library and the Vicksburg Senior Center.  Registration will be on a first come-first served basis and completed forms must be turned in to the library.  Participants will receive their own harmonica and a great lesson from a famous musician!

—Friday, April 17 9:00-11:00 AM, we will celebrate our loyal supporters with “Customer Appreciation Day!’  Join us for coffee and cookies and some great conversations about books and movies.

     We would like to especially thank the members of the Board of Supervisors and our Mississippi Legislators during this week. Warren County provides over 80% of the money needed to run our library and we are thankful for their support.