Terry Headlight News

The Terry Board of Alders met last Tuesday for its regular August meeting. There was discussion of the town’s Christmas parade in this upcoming December. The date for this parade is currently being planned for December 3. Some of the alderwomen are requesting a chairperson to lead in the planning of this parade. If anyone would like to volunteer for service on this committee, he or she should contact Alexis Reed, Town Clerk. The telephone number is 601-878-5714.

Also discussed was the formation of a Task Force which will be involved with the improvements of blighted houses and other buildings in town. Rev. Chris Taylor, who lives in the McIntosh home on Utica Street continues to be instrumental in bringing these properties to the attention of others.

A block of Canton Street (between Raymond and Brown Streets) has been closed for a week. This should be resolved by Mr. Funchess soon, and the street will be open to all traffic. Fortunately, there is nothing on the block that is closed, but Canton Street is used by many (especially from The Avenue neighborhood) as a thouroughfare to the old Highway 51 (Cunningham Street).

We learned this week of the death of Terry native Glen McCleland of Gretna, LA. Obituary for Glen Allen McCleland.

Glen died at his home in Gretna, Louisiana, after an extended illness. He was the youngest son of Jesse Thomas (Jack) McCleland and Mary Cox McCleland of Terry, and is survived by his wife, Barbara, nieces Donna Stoffel and son Jon, Cindy Smith of Crystal Springs, and sons Jeremy and Dane; Beverly Gayle Pilcher of Terry, Nephew, Hiram McCleland, Jr. of Crystal Springs along with numerous loving cousins and friends.

Glen was preceded in death by his parents, and older brothers, John Thomas McCleland of Oberusel, Germany and Hiram Don McCleland of Crystal Springs.

Glen was born and reared in Terry, MS and graduated from Terry High School. He was always known for his friendly, magnetic personality and likeable spirit which served him well during a life-time career with Delta Airlines. He was also an avid golfer, representing Delta Airlines in tournament play throughout his career, winning often.

Upon retirement from Delta, he and his wife re-located to Gretna, Louisiana where he would spend weekends seeking “vintage” finds in local garage sales to share with his friends and family.

His hidden talent and love for music became a favorite pastime at home, honing his guitar technique on the music of country music legends much enjoyed by anyone visiting to engage in sing-a-longs.

Glen was always smiling, often joking or laughing, and a much-cherished friend and family member to all who knew and loved him. He will be truly missed, as he leaves behind the loving memory of someone who loved life and lived it to the fullest.

Visitation only was from 1:00 - 2:00 p. m. on Tuesday at the funeral home in Crystal Springs on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

An obituary for the late Terry native Randy Harper will be published as soon as it is available. Lou Ann Burkett Cobb contacted me several weeks ago asking me if I had heard of Randy’s death. I had not, and it was only confirmed this past week.

A prayer list was printed in the Gazette two weeks ago. To that list, please add the Harper family, Toby and Lillie Rene Jones (also known as “Hales and Jones”) and the McCleland family.

This Sunday, August 14th, will be the tenth Sunday after Pentecost. The readings for this Sunday are Isaiah 5:1-7 (Israel, the Lord’s vineyard), Hebrews 11:29-12:2 (follow Jesus’ example), and Luke 12:49-56 (Jesus causes division; understanding the times).

That August is National Catfish Month was mentioned in last week’s issue of the Gazette. Here is a brief history of this observation. The first mention of this was in August of 1984 when President Ronald Reagan announced to the nation that there would be a national holiday dedicated to the catfish. Since his announcement of the holiday, the Catfish Institute (TCI), the Jackson-based location of the U. S. farm-raised catfish industry, continues to work throughout the year to promote the work, the farmers it represents and the impact they have on the local economy. catfish is one of the largest aquaculture products of both America and Mississippi.

This month also aims to educate people about the agricultural importance of catfish in the economy. As they have been farmed or fished for food for hundreds of years in Africa, Asia, and South America, catfish is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world as well as a tasty meal in many parts of the United States. Catfish contains low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and a much higher proportion of omega-6 fatty acids, making it nutritious to eat.

I am still requesting that a good catfish recipe be sent to me!

Also in August, National Eye Examination month is observed, and it is the perfect time for eye patients to schedule a comprehensive eye exam before the beginning of the school year.

The Vision Council of America notes that 12.2 million Americans require some sort of vision correction but do not use any. Nearly fifty per cent of parents with children under the age of twelve years have never taken children to an eyecare profession.

Here are five reasons why an eye examination should be scheduled:

To save a headache. If you have been having unexplained, constant headaches, your solution could be visiting your optometrist. An eye care professional can pinpoint the problem of your headaches.

To perform well in school. One out of every four children has vision problems. A common reason children fall behind in school is poor, undetected vision. Taking your children to the optometrist can detect an eyesight problem that can contribute to learning and reading difficulties.

To determine prescription. Your eyes change over time. An optometrist can determine if you need eyeglasses or contact lenses, or if you need a stronger prescription to reduce eyestrain and help you see better.

To detect eye conditions. An optometrist is able to spot the early onset signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, glaucoma, and high cholesterol just by conducting an eye exam.

To prevent conditions. Many serious eye diseases often have no symptoms. An optometrist will see the early signs of diseases, such as macular degeneration or cataracts. Early detection is important to prevent serious eye-damage.

We have been blessed to have our niece, Kathy Johnson Demarias, to visit with us for several days last week. Kathy, who is the oldest grandchild of my late parents (Dan and Elzena Johnson) spent around 2 months this summer visiting her daughter’s family in Washington, D.C. There is a new grandson, Elliott Michael Reeves, who was born in February. Following the two-month visit, Jennifer Reeves and the baby returned to Texas with Kathy for a month-long visit. (Jennifer works for the federal government, but is able to work from any computer.) Kathy visited on the birthday month of herself and her aunt, Carolyn Johnson Clements of Terry. We celebrated these birthdays (and National Catfish Month) the Shiver’s Creek Fish House between Crystal Springs and Georgetown. We were also invited to eat steak for an impromptu celebration on Saturday evening.

Kathy’s younger sister, Dr. Lisa Gaye Johnson of Baton Rouge, visited us the previous weekend.

Their brother, Rev. Gary Glen Johnson of Montgomery, Alabama, and his family have spent the summer in Sweden visiting their relatives and representing Sweden on the official baseball team. This family will be returning to Montgomery any day now.

Looking at an event scheduled for later in the month is the Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson. The event will be on Saturday, August 20. Hundreds of contemporary authors — national, regional and local — connect directly with fans and new readers, as invited guests on official panels that explore in-depth themes, or along Authors Alley, the festival’s hub for self-published authors. The locations are the Mississippi State Capitol and (my church) Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church.

This column is being written as news is being broken about an FBI raid on the Florida resort owned by former President Donald J. Trump. Hopefully, what is being sought (still unknown at this time) will be found, and the answer to so many questions will finally be answered. It important for all of us to remember that people who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear.

You have read this weekly column in the weekly Hinds County Gazette, which continues to serve Hinds County weekly as it has since 1845. Your readership is important, and so are your comments about anything that has been printed and your submissions to be printed. News about birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baptisms, illnesses, and deaths are appreciated.