FEBRUARY 2021

INSIDE THE FLAGSHIP CITY

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PASCAGOULA

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

If you have not seen the Pascagoula Sports Complex yet, I encourage you to check it out. It is so wonderful to have such a fabulous facility for our community. The Sports Complex is the new home for youth baseball and softball. For the first time, the two sports will be played at the same facility, making it easier for parents who have children who play both sports. As we approach spring, we're also getting ready for our first tournament season at the Pascagoula Sports Complex. There are currently 21 events scheduled between February and August. With an average of 1350 visitors per tournament, we expect to see at least 30,000 visitors in Pascagoula. So, other than being a great facility for our youth, the Sports Complex becomes an economic driver for local businesses and generates tax revenue for the city. You can find a calendar of events on our website. -- Mayor Demetropoulos

VOTING PRECINCT CHANGE

Municipal elections will be held in 2021. The primary election will be on April 6. The general election will be on June 8. Please note, voting precincts have changed for wards 1, 3, and 5.

Ward 1: Pascagoula Senior Center
Ward 3: Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Ward 5n: Collective Church
Ward 5s: First Presbyterian Church

See what ward you live in and find your voting precinct here. The deadline to register to vote in the primary election is March 8. Those who need to register can do so at the Circuit Clerk's Office at the Jackson County Courthouse.

2021 MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES

Mayor:
Jay Willis (R)

At Large:
Jennifer Colmer (R)
Patrick Gatchell (R)

Ward 1:
Michael L. Hyde (D)

Ward 2:
Felix "FeFe" Fornett (D)

Ward 3:
Ernie Denmark (R)
Johnny Walker (R)

Ward 4:
Burton L. "Burt" Hill (R)
Matt Parker (R)

Ward 5:
Chris Blythe (R)
Christopher Langston (R)

LIBRARY & SCHOOL BOARD VACANCIES

The Pascagoula City Council is now accepting resumes for vacancies on the Pascagoula-Gautier School Board and the Pascagoula Library Board. Each term is five years. Resumes will be accepted through Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Resumes for either vacancy can be sent to the City Clerk's Office at City Hall (603 Watts Avenue) or emailed to kkennedy@cityofpascagoula.com. Applicants must live in Pascagoula.

COYOTES

There have been several reports of coyotes in South Pascagoula. While coyote attacks on humans are very rare, there are a few things you can do to help prevent conflict with coyotes:

Avoid leaving pet food outside.
Make sure garbage can lids are closed and secure.
Remove fallen fruit or birdseed from the ground.
Do not leave your pets outside unattended.

If you come in contact with a coyote, they can be scared off by yelling and waving to appear loud and large. If you see a coyote in Pascagoula, you are asked to contact Pascagoula Police at (228) 762-2211 so that our Animal Control Officer can document the location of the sighting.

MDOT WORK ON HIGHWAY 90

MDOT is continuing work on major infrastructure updates on Highway 90. You may have noticed concrete barriers on the frontage road at the Chicot Street intesection. Here is an explanation of the work from MDOT:

"The existing frontage road is very close to U.S. Hwy 90 and thus the side streets configured previously only allowed one car to be present at the intersection in order to leave a break for frontage road traffic. Upon accident/congestion study, the new configuration at traffic signals will require the frontage road to turn right. The concrete barriers prevent traffic from crossing so close to the connection."

Similar traffic configurations will be made near Walmart. MDOT projects work on the entire Highway 90 project to be complete by the end of 2021.

CITY EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

This month we're recognizing Regina Moore, our Human Resources Generalist. Regina has been with the city for nearly 25 years. She is responsible for payroll, workers compensation, and recruiting for many departments. We know all city employees are appreciative of the hard work she does on a daily basis!

CODE ENFORCEMENT

Complaints: Notifications: Active Violations:

New: 25 Letters sent: 52 Building misc: 6
Resolved: 28 Condemnations: 5 Trash and debris: 7
Citations issued: 8 Property maintenance: 10
Grass & weeds: 8

SENIOR CENTER ADDS ACTIVITIES

The Pascagoula Senior Center is now offering additional activities. The gym, library, and public computers are available by appointment only for 45 minute time slots. Those interested in making an appointment can call (228) 769-8329. Brother Bass will lead Bible study on Thursdays at 10:00 (participation limited to eight people). Line dancing will continue on Mondays & Thursdays at 9:00. Pottery has also resumed for current potters. Potters can call Debbie Hodges at (228) 218-2774 to schedule an appointment. Our dedicated Senior Center staff is making sure all COVID-19 guidelines are being followed.

SPORTS COMPLEX SPONSORSHIP

Now that the Pascagoula Sports Complex is operational, there are sponsorship options available for individuals and businesses. Your donation helps support youth baseball and softball, as well as Sports Complex programming.

Field Sponsorship: A field sponsorship is a five year investment of $5,000 per year, totaling $25,000. Payment includes a center field windscreen with your company logo and a team sponsorship. Click here to fill out an interest form.
Pole Sponsorship: Have your company logo displayed on a banner attached to light poles in high traffic areas. Pole sponsorship is $250 for one year and $400 for three years. Click here to fill out an interest form.
Brick Paver: Make your mark at the Pascagoula Sports Complex by purchasing an engraved brick to go in the flower bed at the Tucker Avenue entrance. Bricks may have up to three lines of personalized text with no more than 20 characters per line. A brick paver is a one-time $100 investment. Click here to order.

MLB® EVENTS AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX

The City of Pascagoula is proud to partner with Major League Baseball® to host two FREE events in February 2021: Pitch Hit & Run™ and Jr. Home Run Derby™.
Jr. Home Run Derby™:
Major League Baseball® Jr. Home Run Derby™ powered by @MLBdevelops is a fun and exciting free youth competition for talented youngsters to showcase their hitting abilities. Boys and girls are divided into two age divisions: 12U and 14U, and will have the chance to advance through three levels of competition. The Local Champions from both age divisions will advance to the Regional Level, and Regional Champions will advance to the Finals, which will take place during the 2021 MLB® All-Star Week™. Jr. Home Run Derby™ will take place on Friday, February 26 at 5:00 p.m. at the Pascagoula Sports Complex. All participants should register online and plan to bring age verification (copy/picture of birth certificate or similar) to the competition.
Pitch Hit & Run™:
Pitch Hit & Run™ is the official skills competition of Major League Baseball®. Boys and girls are divided into four age divisions: 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, and have the chance to advance through three levels of competition, including Team Championships and the Finals during MLB® All-Star Week™. Pitch Hit & Run™ will take place on Saturday, February 27 at the Pascagoula Sports Complex. All participants should register online and plan to bring age verification (copy/ picture of birth certificate or similar) to the competition. If you have any questions about Jr. Home Run Derby™ or Pitch Hit & Run™, contact David Bates at 228-372-6880 or dbates@cityofpascagoula.com.

NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

There is a new option in Pascagoula for childcare. Faithfully Yours Learning Center at 3308 Chicago Avenue opened on February 1. Faithfully Yours Learning Center is open from 5:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, offering extended hours to help parents who may work longer shifts. This is the second location for Faithfully Yours Learning Center. The location in Gautier has been open for 15 years. Faithfully Yours Learning Center accepts children from six weeks to 12 years old. Those interested in learning more about Faithfully Yours Learning Center can call (228) 522-3497.

DOWNTOWN LIVING

The Lofts at Scranton's:
Four new apartments on the second floor of Scranton's are complete. This is the first of several mixed-use development projects to bring a significant number of downtown living options to Pascagoula. The apartments were designed to capture the historic nature of the building with 15-foot walls of exposed brick. All four apartments were rented out within just three days of being listed. Take a tour of the apartments here.
Odd Fellows:
The same contractors who worked on the Lofts at Scranton's have now begun work at the historic Odd Fellows building on Krebs Avenue. When complete, there will be five apartments and an additional retail space in the building. Off the Hook seafood restaurant will remain where it is. The new apartments are expected to be ready for rent by Summer 2021. Owner Ramsay Taylor gives a walk through of the building layout in this video.

PARADISE DELI & GRILL ADDS BREAKFAST MENU

Paradise Deli & Grill is a lunchtime favorite for many in downtown Pascagoula. This month, Paradise expanded its offerings to include a breakfast menu. Breakfast is available Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. You can find the breakfast menu here.

CULINARY CLASSES AT NURA JUICE

The Friends of Arts, Culture and Education (FACE) held their first cooking class in Pascagoula in January. The class was sushi rolling and was held at Nura Juice Bar on Pascagoula Street. The class was such a success, the two partners decided to make it a monthly occurrence. FACE will host cooking classes at Nura Juice Bar on the last Wednesday of each month. February 24's class is Pasta from Scratch and March 31's class is Charcuterie 101. You can purchase tickets on the FACE website. The cost of the ticket includes wine.

SAND CASTLE UNIVERSITY AT BEACH PARK

Sand Castle University is coming to Pascagoula on April 10! Learn the best tools, tips, and tricks of sand sculpture with a professional. This class is intended for families to learn a brand new skill together. Each participant (ages 7 and up) will have their own sand block area. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased on the FACE website.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Pascagoula-Gautier School District:

The Pascagoula-Gautier School District recently held its virtual Tech Camp Super Saturday open to teachers across Mississippi free of charge. The camp offered 33 sessions on how teachers could use technology to enhance learning in their classrooms. More than 1,463 teachers across Mississippi encompassing 139 school districts, other Mississippi education institutions and 11 out-of-state educational institutions attended the virtual camp. Pictured is PGSD Technology Director Eva Harvell, who hosted the virtual camp along with technology integration specialists Stoney Rogers and Jeannie Steer.

Resurrection Catholic School:

Resurrection Catholic School has had a busy couple of weeks to start off 2021! The Middle and High School campus kicked off Catholic Schools Week with an outdoor Mass celebrated for the intentions of the unborn and the efforts of the pro-life movement. Following Mass, the student body participated in a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Pascagoula. RCS also celebrated their 76^th Annual Carnival Ball where Queen Victoria Morgan Sheffield and King Victor Miller Kay were crowned. This year’s Carnival Ball raised another record breaking amount that will go directly back to the school.

RCS has also continued its excellence in sports this school year. The boy’s bowling team were the regional champs and advanced to the State Championships where they came in 2^nd.Junior David Brock was named the #2 individual bowler in the state. The boys’ soccer team were the Class 1A-3A district champs and advanced to the South State Championship game. Members of the State Champion girls’ volleyball team Mia Holland and Emma Godfrey were named to the MS Coaches 1A All-State Volleyball Team and Ciana Mallette was awarded All-State Honorable Mention. In football news, seniors Will Clemens, Sage Neron and Sam Williams all signed commitments to play football at the college level. Great job Eagles representing RCS!

PASCAGOULA PROUD

Pascagoula's own Sarah Thomas made history during Super Bowl LV as the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl. Thomas served as the down judge, a post she's held regularly since 2017. Thomas became the first full-time female official in league history in 2015. Prior to working in the NFL, Thomas called games on the college level in Conference USA and became the first female to work a bowl game. The gym at Pascagoula Recreation Center is named in her honor. Watch her interview with CBS This Morning here. We're proud of you, Sarah!

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