Christmas at the Vicksburg Animal Shelter

Southern Paws Rescue is happy once again to be sponsoring Christmas at the Vicksburg City Animal Shelter. We are asking for donations of dog, puppy, cat and kitten food. Along with dog treats, dog toys/chew bones, cat treats, cat toys and cat litter. We are gladly accepting donations until Dec 23rd, 2009. The following businesses are donation drop off locations: Vicksburg City Animal Shelter, 100 Old Mill Road. Belvedere & Co at the Flower Center, 3150 S Frontage Road. Adolph Rose, 717 Clay Street. Warrenton Farm and Garden, Hwy 61 South. Southern Paws, 1200 Openwood Street. Hometown Medical, 814 Belmont Street. Please call Southern Paws or the Vicksburg City Animal Shelter if you have any questions. Please consider adopting a shelter animal. Debbie Lowery, Southern Paws Standard Poodle and Small Breed Rescue, Vicksburg,MS. http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MS89.html

Winfield, Mayfield & Beauman: Vicksburg's new leaders

Our new mayor and aldermen have been sworn in, and have held their first official meeting. What's your impression so far? Any predictions?

Race relations in Warren County

An editorial in Monday's Vicksburg Post on the subject of race relations in Warren County stated that "The numbers (of the various races) don't matter nearly as much as people's acts and attitudes about other races. Warren County has a pretty good score on the inclusiveness scale." This writer, having interacted for over thirty years with citizens of all races represented here, agrees. There is crime and finger-pointing, of course, but the criminals and the malcontents are certainly not confined to a single race. Neither are the compassionate and the unselfish, who outnumber the former by a hundred to one. With the nation facing an uncertain future, it is essential that all peoples of Vicksburg and Warren County continue to maintain their respect for one another and to work side by side to preserve our common interests.

VICKSBURG'S MAYORAL RACE: LEYENS VS. WINFIELD

Attorney Paul Winfield's victory in the Democratic primary placed him in a one-on-one matchup in the race for mayor against incumbent Mayor Laurence Leyens. The general election is slated for June 2.






Mayor LaurenceLeyens:







http://www.leyensresults.com/

Attorney Paul WinfieldWinfield:

http://winfieldforvicksburg.com/

Vicksburg Tea Party - April 15

Vicksburg will have its own "Tea Party" on April 15 to protest the way the government is spending our tax dollars. The event will take place on the courthouse steps 5 PM. Greenwood, Jackson, Tupelo, etc., are also planning their own:

http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/mississippi/

VPD - Vicksburg Profit Department?

There has been quite a bit of discussion regarding the VPD's crackdown on speeders and seat belt law violators. Put in your two cents if you like.

At right is a photo of one of the VPD's enforcers - illegally parked and blocking a portion of Crawford Street, motor idling (you're paying for it), awaiting his next victim. Is that Mayor Leyens grinning from that upper floor window of City Hall?

Vicksburg: A Two-Airport City

With big ideas for its expansion, the City of Vicksburg recently announced a $23.5 million long-range plan for Vicksburg Municipal Airport (VMA). Anticipated are addition of an 8,000-foot runway capable of handling commercial air traffic, corporate hangers, an aviation industrial park, air cargo capabilities, and a $60 million security technology testing facility. The City has already made VMA an official department in its organization, and hired ex-casino executive Curt Fulmer at a salary of $60,000 to run it. In conjunction with the effort, a new fire station and a new T-hangar building are planned, extensive renovations to the airport terminal building are underway, and a new river port west of the airport is being studied. Thus far, the City has apparently spent about $50,000 on development of the plan, $262,000 for purchase of additional land for the runway, and some several thousands on renovations to the terminal building, plus whatever in-house time and material has been expended.

Fire station and terminal building, VMA

The City is also supporting the Vicksburg- Tallulah Regional Airport (VTR) near Mound, Louisiana. It's one-fourth ownership is costing taxpayers approximately $3,000 per month in operating expenses, though millions, mostly federal funds, have been spent on constuction of the facility.

Terminal building and associated structures, VMA

Though the City has moved forward with plans and expenditures for VMA, several considerations have not been addressed. For example, though VMA is beneficial to some business interests, such as LeTourneau Technologies, Cappert Manufactured Housing, and the Army Corps of Engineers, of what benefit is VMA and its improvements to the people who are paying for it - the Average Joe taxpayers of Vicksburg and Warren County? What will become of the city's interests in VTR once VMA is actively supporting all of Vicksburg's airport needs? In this time of economic uncertainy, should a reduction in the financial load on the citizens, i.e., reduced taxes and budgetary constraints, take precedence over huge new expenditures?

Hangar, VMA

The Vicksburg Housing Authority

Director of the Vicksburg Housing Authority, Jim Stirgis, and Vicksburg Chief of Police Tommy Moffett, are at odds with one another other the arrest of VHA maintenance supervisor Charles Jones for allegedly possessing two point two pounds of cocaine delivered through the mail to the VHA Administrative Office. Moffett blames lack of supervision by Stirgis and the VHA Board of Commissioners for allowing Jones to buy and sell the drugs, and apparently purchase with VHA funds tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise and vehicles for his own use.

In a surprise move February 24, Mayor Laurence Leyens and Aldermen Michael Mayfield appointed four new commissioners to the VHA Board. They replaced three existing "holdover" commissioners and filled one vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Charles Abraham.

Vicksburg's natural gas rates

It is very difficult to compare natural gas rates across the country, probably because the various energy companies want it that way, but with a quick a search on the Internet I discovered that companies in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, and Alaska are charging their residential customers from 10 (ten) to 13 (thirteen) dollars per mcf. At the present time, the City of Vicksburg charges its citizens north of 16 (sixteen) dollars per mcf (including their "adjustment"), some 25% to 60% more than these states, states who probably have higher pipeline transportation costs than Mississippi.



The methods used by the City in buying natural gas and setting its price have not (to my knowledge) been publicly divulged. A bit of transparency would be refreshing. Just as reassuring would be confirmation from the City that any dollars collected in excess of the cost of natural gas are returned to the customers, and not diverted to other uses.



The spot price for wholesale natural gas is at present about 4.5 (four point five) dollars per mcf, near the lowest price on record this century. This chart says it all:





Why are Vicksburg's natural gas rates so high, when wholesale prices have dropped through the floor? Are excess dollars collected on gas bills being returned to the customers, or is the City using the profit for their pet project of the month? Are city officials hiding anything? Can we trust them to tell us the truth?

Vicksburg's next mayor

March 8, 2009

With the addition of Tommy Wright, there are now five candidates for mayor of the City of Vicksburg:

Incumbent Mayor Laurence Leyens http://web.vicksburg.org/Vicksburg/Default.aspx?tabid=107

Attorney Paul Winfield http://winfieldforvicksburg.com/

Former Alderwoman and Realtor Gertrude Young http://www.electgertrude.us/

Contractor and President of the local chapter of the NAACP John Shorter, and Tommy Wright, a small business owner. No photos or websites are available for Shorter or Wright at this time.

The primary election is May 5, runoff elections May 19, and the general election June 2.