CURRENT ISSUE - JUNE 2006
Tom Gary
Personal experience helps new Delta Council president understand the region’s challenges
By Mark Bird
DBJ Contributing Writer

Tom Gary, recently named the 72nd president of Delta Council, brings to the job a wealth of personal experience. His family has been active in cotton farming for five generations. Gary himself is a farmer and businessman—he has known the rewards and challenges of Delta agriculture, and seen the dramatic ups and downs of the region’s economy. Through his previous positions within Delta Council and his work with numerous other civic organizations, he has long been a part of efforts to improve the lives of Deltans.

A lifelong Greenwood resident, Gary attended Mississippi State University, graduating in 1970 with a B.S. degree in agricultural economics. He then returned home to the family farm, Wildwood Farms, which he now runs with his son Lawson. Gary and his wife Moxie also have a daughter, Sherry, who works for Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville.
FULL STORY

North Delta mega developments to begin.
Two will begin this summer.
By C. Richard Cotton
DBJ Contributing Writer

When it rains, it pours. As regards the area around Tunica Resorts in Robinsonville, Miss., that’s a good thing.
Both Tunica National and Riverbend Crossing are to begin grading work at their respective sites sometime in the summer. The former is in Tunica County, virtually surrounding Tunica National Golf & Tennis, while the latter is right across the line in DeSoto County.

By the time they’re finished out within the next decade or so, millions of dollars worth of construction will have been completed.
FULL STORY

Far from being a tax cut for the wealthy, the $70 billion tax reconciliation package recently signed into law by President Bush will be a boost for agriculture and for small businesses in the Mississippi Delta, says Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott.

“The next-to-last vote we cast before we left was to keep your taxes from increasing by $70 billion dollars over the next few years, said the Republican senator, speaking at the May 12 annual meeting of Delta Council at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.
FULL STORY

Sno cones become hot commodity during summer
Area stands draw crowds when temps heat up
By Doreen Muzzi
DBJ Editor

Several decades ago, it was a common sight to see an old wooden table with a hand-cranked ice crusher, flanked by jars of flavored liquids, on the front lawns of many homes. Back then, they were called “snow ball” stands.

From such humble beginnings, the “sno cone” has become big business, especially during the summer months, with owners tagging their stands with ingenious names like “Summer Snow” and “Snow Biz.” These small, seasonal businesses are now totally electric and even computerized in some large metropolitan areas.

They’re especially popular in Southern locales such as the Delta, where the warm-weather months outnumber the cold ones.
FULL STORY

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