APRIL 2021

INSIDE THE FLAGSHIP CITY

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF PASCAGOULA

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

I would like to commend the community on the hard work done in the past year to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We're beginning to feel a sense of normalcy again. The return of many beloved events is an indicator of that. Main Street Pascagoula is bringing back Third Fridays in downtown Pascagoula. Unfortunately, the one scheduled for April was canceled because of the weather, but there will be two more in the spring series on May 21 and June 18. Free Flowin' Fest is scheduled for May 8 at Beach Park. We're excited to have the Friends of Arts, Culture, and Education bring a new free event to our community. On May 29, they will host a Shakespeare in the Park event at Beach Park. Actors will be performing a modern-day adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Everything I mentioned is an outdoor event that can happen safely with plenty of room for social distancing. Please continue to be safe as we enjoy events that we've been missing in our community.
- Mayor Demetropoulos

MARKET STREET SIGNALIZATION PROJECT

Work on Market Street traffic signal improvements is scheduled to begin in early May. The project is focused on improving intersection and pedestrian traffic controls along the Market Street corridor to allow for more efficient traffic flow. The work will take place predominantly at night, so there should be minimal traffic impacts.

MANTOU STREET BRIDGE CLOSURE

Work on the Mantou Street Bridge replacement is underway. Mantou Street between Ingalls Avenue and Parsley Avenue will be closed for approximately 90 days as the new bridge is constructed. The preferred detour route is 11th Street.

ELECTION RESULTS

The primary election was held on April 6. All races were decided in the primary and Pascagoula has elected its new City Council. The new Council will be sworn in in July.

Mayor: Jay Willis
At Large: Patrick Gatchell
Ward 1: Michael Hyde
Ward 2: Felix "FeFe" Fornett
Ward 3: Johnny Walker
Ward 4: Matt Parker
Ward 5: Chris Blythe

LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES

We would like to thank Senator Brice Wiggins and Representative Charles Busby for advocating on behalf of Pascagoula during the 2021 legislative session. They were integral in securing funding to help move Pascagoula forward.

$510,000 in GOMESA funds for Point Park Pier Improvements.
$915,000 in GOMESA funds for Buena Vista drainage project.
$400,000 in Tidelands funds for Point Park improvements.
$7.4 million in funding for the Pascagoula Redevelopment Authority for downtown development.

CITY EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Please help us welcome the newest member of the Pascagoula Police Department team, K9 Thor. He is a Belgian Malinois from the Netherlands and is 3.5 years old. K9 Thor and his handler, Officer Selover, are still in training but will be on the streets in no time! Thank you to Officer Selover for taking on the challenge of becoming a K9 Handler. We know this dynamic duo will make us #PascagoulaProud.

YOUTH BASEBALL & SOFTBALL OPENING CEREMONIES

The youth baseball and softball seasons are underway! Opening ceremonies for the leagues were held in March. The Pascagoula City Council officially cut the ribbon on the $12 million dollar Sports Complex. While the complex was operational last summer, this is the first full season the leagues are playing in their new home. During opening ceremonies there was a moment of silence in memory of K.J. North and his parents, Kevin and Sharay, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL^® AWARD

Keep America Beautiful^®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, has presented City ofPascagoula with its 2020 President’s Circle Award. The President's Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance by certified affiliates of Keep America Beautiful^® in creating clean, green, and beautiful communities. In qualifying for the President's Circle Award, the City of Pascagoula has met standards of merit of Keep America Beautiful^® by administering initiatives to end littering and beautify Pascagoula's community.

WE'RE HIRING

The City of Pascagoula Parks & Recreation Department is looking for a gym attendant. This part time position will work an average of 15 hours per week and is responsible for supervising gym participants in the recreation center and answering telephones. Find the full job description and apply here.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

March Report
Complaints: Notifications: Active Violations:

New: 16 Letters sent: 61 Building misc: 14
Resolved: 59 Condemnations: 0 Trash and debris: 12
Citations issued: 0 Property maintenance: 11
Grass & weeds: 43

NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Help us welcome Posies & Puddles Children's Boutique to downtown Pascagoula! The store is located at 710 Delmas Avenue. Posies & Puddles has been around for three years, but as an online business only. Owner Abby Wills is excited to be able to have a physical storefront in the community in which she grew up. Watch a video about the boutique here.

FREE FLOWIN' FEST

Free Flowin' Fest will take place on May 8 at Beach Park. Enjoy a day of FREE family fun from 12 pm. - 8 pm. Enjoy live music, local vendors, a classic car show, kids activities, and a fireworks show at dark.

The Tree-Oh - 12:00 pm
Marlow Boys Trio – 2:00 pm
The Chitlins – 4:00 pm
The Red Clay Strays – 6:00 pm

ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

WXXV featured the Round Island Lighthouse in their Live Local series that highlights historic landmarks across the Gulf Coast. Liz Ford, who sits on the city's Historic Preservation Commission, was interviewed. You can watch the story here.

MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL

Our Mayor's Youth Council has been busy! Members packed and delivered Easter treats to residents of the Plaza Community Living Center. Youth Council members spent a day with the police and fire departments learning what it's like to be a first responder. We would like to thank Secretary of State and Pascagoula native Michael Watson for stopping by one of our meetings!

UPCOMING SPORTS CAMPS

Basketball Camp:

May 11-13 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Girls & boys ages 6-12
$60 per camps

Indoor Soccer Camp:

July 6 & 7 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Girls & boys ages 7-16
$50 per camper

Register for each camp at cityofpascagoula.com/register.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Pascagoula-Gautier School District:

Pascagoula High has announced Landon Wiggins as STAR Student and Steve Olsen as STAR Teacher. STAR Students are selected based on ACT scores and scholastic averages. Wiggins, the son of Mississippi Senator Brice and Heather Wiggins, is valedictorian of the PHS Class of 2021. He received the John Hyland Panther Award for varsity soccer for the past three years and plays varsity tennis for the Panthers. A past member of the Pascagoula Mayor’s Youth Council, Wiggins has also volunteered in the community in a variety of capacities including church mission trips and serving at Our Daily Bread. His future plans include attending the University of Mississippi to study biochemistry and then attend medical school. Wiggins said his ultimate goal is to serve aboard Mercy Ships, an international, interdenominational charity that provides humanitarian aid such as free health care, dental procedures, training for local professionals and teaching basic health care.STAR Students select their STAR Teacher, the teacher who has had the greatest influence over their academic success. Wiggins chose PHS AP calculus and Algebra 3 instructor Steve Olsen as his STAR Teacher. A teacher for 26 years, Olsen has been at Pascagoula High since the onset of his career. This is his first time to be honored as STAR Teacher.

Derek Read, College & Career Technical Institute CTE Counselor and Career Academy Specialist, has won the Mississippi ACTE Counseling and Career Development Professional Award for the 2020-21 school year. This award recognizes a school counselor or career development professional who is currently making significant contributions in career and technical education programs in their community and state. Read will now go on to compete against state winners from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas for the Region IV Counseling & Career Development Award. Read was a co-presenter for the National Career Academy Coalition Fall Conference and a presenter for the Mississippi Innovative Lab Network Virtual Conference. He was asked to participate in the Leadership Collaborative Training for the National Career Academy Coalition where he became a Fellow, was a graduate of Leadership Jackson County in 2019 and was named to the CompTIA National Leadership Council for the United States. He is co-presenting at the Iowa State ACTE Conference on Workforce Development and also co-presenting at the NCAC Fall Leadership Conference in November, 2021.

Resurrection Catholic School:

With the arrival of spring, RCS students have continued their focus on service and have been working to beautify not just their campuses, but also the City of Pascagoula. The Elementary School hosted a Beautification day where many students and families worked to spruce up the campus. RCES Student Council also held a park clean-up day at Lighthouse Park and the senior religion classes worked to clean up the IG Levy Park playground. Also, RCS is gearing up for their annual Spring Fling which will be held on April 17, 2021 from 10:00-2:00. Activities will include face painting, bounce houses, a petting zoo and many more. There will also be a drawing for a 2013 Mini Cooper! Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased from any RCS student.

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