Communities Forward Festival photos

Click the link to view the Communities Forward Festival photos taken Saturday.

http://leeneighbors.wordpress.com/2007/10/

Okeelala Festival Photos

Here are a few photos from the Okeelala Festival in Baldwyn this past Saturday. My camera and I worked a little overtime. I had planned to stay long enough that morning to get four or five photos for the Our Neighbors page in the section, and it was getting quite hot. But the longer I stayed, the more fun I had. So, I began snapping pictures just to put them on this blog. It made my job easier when people like the girls you see to the right walked up and asked for their picture to be taken. Click this link to the Lee County Neighbors Photo Page and see if you can spot your neighbors or even yourself. Enjoy!

Making Scarecrows

Saturday was a perfect morning for about 40 adults and children who gathered at the MSU Extension Center in Verona to make scarecrows for the Scarecrow Trail. Items such as plastic bottles and jugs, sticks and brooks, old shirts and pants were used to make about a dozen scarecrows. One little girl didn’t want to part with her scarecrow, so she took it home.

The photo at right ran into today’s Neighbors section, but you can visit my Neighbors photo blog to see more photos.

Tell me your problems

During my 28-year career in journalism, I’ve had a lot of people tell me their problems – ranging from issues within the paper, outside the paper, at home, with their marriages, etc., etc. I don’t know why I’m the “chosen one” for them to unleash their anger/frustrations/venting, but I do have an “open-door policy” for anyone wanting to get something off their chest.

In other words, come to Dr. Pepper and tell me what’s bothering you. I’ll listen.

Friday afternoon, I received one of the strangest complaint calls I’ve received in my 28 years in the newspaper business. It was a woman, I’m guessing, in her late 50s to early 60s. When she had my ear, she had something to say — not about me, not about the paper, but about a particular restaurant in Tupelo (I won’t reveal its identity). She didn’t raise her voice or curse every third or four word, but obviously what happened really bothered her and she just wanted to tell someone about it.

Her biggest complaint about this particular restaurant was that the sausage may have been overcooked. She said it was burnt to a crisp and very hard to eat. She said the waitress and management were informed of this sausage, but that the service was slow.

“It must have been a very bad day for them,” she said. I didn’t interrupt as she continued …

The woman said had enjoyed the restaurant’s food on previous visits, but this experience changed his view. “I don’t think I will be going there anymore,” she said.

“Well,” I replied, “I’m sure the people at (the business) will be disappointed to know you won’t be coming back.”

She replied, “Oh, I don’t think they’ll miss an old couple like us.”

All she wanted was to tell someone about it, “in case you’re going up that way,” she said. She thanked me for the conversation and hung up.

The next morning, I did some investigating by going to the restaurant in question. The service was good and the sausage was very tasty.

My advice to the woman would be to give the restaurant another chance. Don’t let one bad experience overshadow many good ones.

Now, if I can just track her down so I can send her the bill for my consultation …