Today on Starkville Now

Letter to the editor: Jeremiah Dumas

April 30, 2009

Dear Ward 5 Friends and Neighbors,

Many of us don’t have an opportunity to choose our hometown. In fact, the idea itself seems a little shaky, but I can answer that timeless question: Yes, you can go home again. After growing up in Starkville, college in Clinton, and a decade-long professional life in Jackson, I came back home to Starkville last fall.

Over the past few months, my family and I have been reconnecting with old friends and getting to know new ones, including Jeremiah Dumas. In personal and professional settings, I have seen Jeremiah exhibit leadership, integrity and a commitment to our community. When he announced his candidacy for alderman, I knew that his intellect, work ethic and passion for service could make a difference in Ward 5 and our city.

My family and I are supporting Jeremiah Dumas for Ward 5 alderman. We hope that you will join us and make a proven, positive and progressive choice May 5.

Jim Laird
100 Copperfield Court
Starkville, MS 39759

My Boys

my sweet boys
I love this picture.

A Boy Through in Through

I got your flip-flops, and you can't catch me!

Now I have them on! HA, HA, HA!
After he got through torturing his sister, who was an excellent sport through it all.........
(Yes, that is a swimsuit with shorts on the soccer field. Fashion Diva Phelps won that argument, too.)
He decided to move on to the big girls. He went in Harper's soccer bag, got her socks, and put them on.

The girls chased him down and
tugged and pulled until they got the socks.
Girls United.
Did he learn his lesson?
No, when the girls were busy, he got the socks again. This went on over and over, and YES he loved every minute of it. What can I say?
He is a boy through and through.

Go Camille!

Our niece plays with the Jackson Futbol Club and her team came to Starkville to play Tupelo. The big girls were so excited she was coming they even opted to miss Girl Scouts to watch her play. So we loaded up and headed to the field, and we had a great time watching the big girls play.
Camille in ACTION!

Do you shop at Wal-Mart?

Several Overstreet teachers do!!!

Take a look......
Rachel, Gabbi, Hope, Amanda

Yes, we all laughed when we walked in this morning and realized we all had on the same basic dress, but in many different shades!
This reminds me of my college friend, Jenny. She used to chant this when her dad took her "back to school shopping" each and every year at Wal-Mart -

"Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart that's our store!
Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart because we are poor!"

Yes, it is okay if you go and buy you one of these dresses today.
We would love for you to join the club.

My Husband the Politician

Today in the Starkville Daily News................

Dumas: Ward 5 run about quality of life

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

By KELLY DANIELS Starkville Daily News A local resident working as Mississippi State’s environmental director and the Starkville’s Community Market co-founder is also working to be elected Ward 5 alderman. Jeremiah Dumas, 29, a proclaimed backer of smart development and people-centered policies, says he has chosen to run for elective office so that he can contribute to extending the city’s quality of life to reach more people. “For most, Starkville provides a high quality of life, but I think we can do better and increase the quality of life for all,” Dumas said. “To do so, we must have a board that consists of proven, positive and progressive people.” For Dumas, quality of life issues include the physical, social and cultural realms, which means that officials much set in motion a process that facilitates the type of growth and development that enhances and sustains a high quality of life in order for Starkville to continue being competitive in educational and economic development aspects. “As a research professor whose research focus is community and transportation planning and having worked as a project manager with an award-winning landscape architecture and community planning firm, I understand planning, growth and development,” Dumas said. If elected, his top priority would be amending the city’s existing comprehensive plan. “The next board will be responsible for the amendment of the comprehensive plan and considering that this document guides all growth and development within the city, it is imperative that this document be adopted and sound in principle,” he said. “With experience in community and urban planning, I have the expertise needed to facilitate this process and work hand in hand with the city planner.” Challenges and opportunities As with any growing municipality, Dumas says there are several challenges facing Starkville. “I believe that the biggest challenge is growth and development,” he said. “Starkville will continue to grow and in order to sustain and even enhance our quality of life, we must have a solid framework in place to sequence and guide development.” Additionally, the city faces the challenge of addressing its need for a municipal complex which Dumas calls an eyesore and a poor welcome mat for the city. “For a university city that is progressive and showcased, we must move forward with the development of a complex that is welcoming, accessible and within the city core,” he said. “Civic facilities are needed within the community core and can be used to energize areas of great need.” Finally, Dumas says, the city faces the challenge of practicing better university and community relations. With new leaders of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Mississippi State University, Dumas believes the city has the ability to blur the edge between the university and the city, he said. “The CottonMill development is a perfect example of the potential that can be reached when a sound partnership is in place, however, we can do better and considering the growth potential around the university, we must have a board in place that can speak the language, has the existing networks and is progressive in thought,” he said. Starkville’s biggest opportunities, according to Dumas, lie within the city’s growth, economic development and quality of life. “People move to Starkville because of our existing quality of life and considering the cultural enhancements that have occurred over the past few years, it is encouraging to witness the change and see the growth,” he said. “Couple this with the economic opportunities that are being explored with the new Greater Starkville Development Partnership administration and the networks and connections with the new university administration and it is apparent that great things are on the horizon and the next Board of Aldermen must be amendable and facilitate these opportunities.” The role that the Board of Aldermen plays with these opportunities is vital, he says, while the connection with the university and the GSDP is not direct. “Most importantly, we must have a growth framework in place with the amended comprehensive plan that will guide all development in a sound manner so that our quality of life is enhanced and sustained,” he said. “Second, we must have a municipal complex that represents the city of Starkville as a progressive and accessible city and thirdly, we must develop connections and networks between the city of Starkville, the university, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Oktibbeha County so that we move together in a unified manner and with a consistent message.” “For the past couple of years, I have enjoyed volunteering and success at the grassroots level,” Dumas said, who was recently recognized by the Starkville Rotary Club as a Paul Harris Fellow for his achievements in community service. “But it is my hope to take that same level of passion and experience to the administrative level and help Starkville reach its highest potential. For this reason, I ask the people of Ward 5 for their vote and support.” Dumas and his wife, Hope, have four children. He attends First United Methodist Church in Starkville and is the cofounder and chairperson of the Starkville Community Market. He is a coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Golden Triangle Area Team-in-Training. He also serves as an executive committee member of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and as a member of the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival Planning Committee.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 April 2009 )

How many different positions can you possibly play in 1 game?

Well, you tell me...........

Katherine at catcher.
Katherine at 3rd base.
Katherine at shortstop.
Katherine at 1st base.
That is right 4 positions in one ballgame! The coach definitely played "switch it, change it, rearrange it!" She did a good job at all positions and ........
she even hit the ball all the way to the outfield! GO KATHERINE!
If you want to know my secret to keeping the twins contained at the ballgame.........
You got it.
1 STOP at TACO BELL =
2 happy, well-behaved babies!
Phelps really wanted you to know............
she wore MATCHING Dora flip-flops to the game and her mom was really proud!

Can you spell FUN?

D
My Husband and Me
A
Ashleigh and Jeremy
V
Vivian and Ashleigh
E
Me and Ashleigh
S
Jason, Ashleigh, Lee, Me, Jeremiah
Jeremiah and Me
We always seem to have a blast! You should try it sometime!

LOTS and LOTS of SOCCER

My girls PLAYED lots and lots of soccer this past weekend, and I WATCHED lots and lots of soccer. EIGHT games between the two to be exact!

Lawson Joy played tough, hustled, and did an overall great job this weekend. She even scored a goal! I am very proud of my big girl!
Lawson Joy in action. She is #11 on the white team.
H-U-S-T-L-E ! ! !
Team Mates
Kennis, Lawson Joy, Hannah, and Lauren
Coach John and the Starkville Strikers cooling off during halftime. It was HOT!!
Steal it, Katherine! Here she is #13 in action!
Katherine's team played 3 different boy teams on Saturday, but that did not stop her and her team. Katherine played hard, and managed to SMILE the whole time.
The Team
"Peanut Butter and Jellies"
Check out their cute socks!
GO, Katherine, GO!
Here she is taking a rest. Look how red her face is! Did I say it was HOT???
Katherine and her team did a great job playing as a team, cheering each other on, and just playing good soccer. I am very proud of my SMILEY little soccer player.
Phelps and Watkins were there to cheer on their big sisters. Their highlight - NACHOS!
"They good, momma!" Phelps said.
Best Soccer Field Buddies
Phelps and Browning
Phelps and Watkins watching their sisters very closely.




I love my soccer girls!

A Friday Playdate

I was so excited it was finally Friday, and what better way to start off the weekend than with a playdate with my best buddies and all our kids?

Would you consider me a redneck, since I placed the chips/salsa and chocolate refreshments on my old washing machine that Jeremiah needs to take to the dump? Kinda of funny, huh?
Vivian, Shannon, Laura, Ashleigh and all of their crews came over for a little fun in the sun. My camera did go dead - so I did not get many pictures, but a few..........
Anelise just a swinging. So cute!
Bella, Rhiannon, and Katherine playing on the swing set. The girls are our neighbors, and they get to our house and us to theirs by jumping the fence.
Watkins has even mastered the "fence jumping"!
We of course had lots of laughs and caught up quickly, before we headed in all different directions. The ball field, a date, a movie, and out for pizza to name a few places we all headed to. I had a great time and was glad we could all catch up.

Softball Season has begun......

Lawson Joy
and Katherine are playing this year. Katherine is playing coach pitch, and Lawson Joy is in a league where they actually have a pitcher on the team. I am proud to say in their first games both girls got 2 hits.





Lawson Joy playing first base.








Katherine's team getting last minute tips.









the spectators
Cameron and Georgia







Lawson Joy's team just hanging out in the dugout.







Phelps, Watkins, Ansley, and Karius playing at the game.




Phelps, Ansley, and Watkins are best friends. Ms. Martha (their teacher at FUMC) says they are attached at the hip. The babies can't wait to get to the field to see their Ansley.
So softball season - here we go!