The Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Starkville Main Street will host a TWITTER TOWN HALL meeting on Monday, February 27, 8:00-10:00pm using the Twitter hashtag #Starkville2012. We see this as a great opportunity to hear from students, faculty, residents, business owners, MSU alumni, fans, and visitors to the area about what you feel YOUR college town should be. The floor will be open to any relevant topics and dialog that arise in our efforts to share constructive ideas for continuing to build the best Starkville.

HOW WILL IT WORK?
We will moderate the discussion through our twitter account (@mscollegetown) with initial targeted discussion topics or questions. Anyone interested in participating in the dialog can simply add the #Starkville2012 hashtag to his or her tweet (including the # sign). Tweeters can view the #Starkville2012 stream through any Twitter application by clicking on the hashtag when it appears in a tweet. Users are invited to post, reply or re-tweet at their discretion. We are also inviting several community and campus leaders to participate in the Twitter Town Hall to listen, share ideas and answer specific questions.

A tweeting tool that might help…
To view ONLY the #Starkville2012 Town Hall tweets in real time, participants may want to try a service like tweetchat.com. After navigating to this site in a browser, users can simply login using their Twitter account information and type “Starkville2012″ into the hashtag box. The #Starkville2012 stream will appear. Any tweets posted through tweetchat.com will automatically include the hashtag. You can even visit there NOW to see comments and announcements we’re making about Twitter Town Hall.

We are very excited to facilitate this unique opportunity for dialog. Mississippi’s College Town is YOUR college town, and we want to hear your voice!

TWITTER TOWN HALL
Monday, February 27
8:00-10:00pm at the hashtag #Starkville2012 

Since 2003, The Veranda has served it’s Starkville guests with true Southern hospitality and seasonal fresh ingredients. The menu offers an eclectic selection including Angus steaks, fresh fish and soul food Blue Plate lunches. It also features a few Mardi Gras-inspired dishes year-round. We spoke with owner and chef, Jay Yates, and he’s pulling out all the stops to let the good times roll. In addition to jamabalya, crawfish etouffe, gumbo, red beans and rice, & boudin balls, Chef Jay is also offering made-to-order King Cake! Drink specials in the bar as well as brass band and dixieland jazz playing throughout the evening make The Veranda a great choice for your Mardi Gras! PLUS, Jay gave us his version of make-it-at-home Crawfish Etouffe so you can spice up your dinner any night!

ON THE MARDI GRAS MENU…

Crab Claws Appetizer Special

New Orleans Nachos with Crawfish (a year-round Veranda favorite) — Comes with queso and cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapeños, sausage, and red beans

Mardi Gras Sampler Special — Chicken Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Etuoffee

Mardi Gras Pasta (a year-round Veranda favorite) – Shrimp, crawfish, corn, sausage, Cajun cream sauce, and penne.

VERANDA’S CRAWFISH ETOUFFE

Roux:
1/2 stick butter and 4 Tbsp flour
Cook in skillet until raw flour taste cooks out — approx 5 minutes
Hold for later.

1/2 cup each: celery, onion, bell pepper, green onion — finely diced
Saute in 2 sticks butter and 4 Tbsp Cajun seasoning until soft
Add 2 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic and cook 1 minute
Add 3 lbs crawfish with juice and 1 cup seafood or chicken stock
Bring to boil.
Blend in roux to thicken.
Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Serve over white rice and douse with your favorite hot sauce.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Before our visit to practice, first-year Head Coach Vann Stuedeman (above center) gave us some insight into the buzz surrounding the season and what’s great about playing (and coaching) softball in Starkville!

You’re relatively new to Starkville. What attracted you to Mississippi State softball and the Starkville area?
Scott Stricklin first and foremost. His vision for where our softball program is going is outstanding. Secondly, the great fans of Mississippi State. Not a day that goes by where I walk around Starkville and don’t hear the words “Hail State” or “Go Dawgs.” Starkville has so many different things to offer, from great food (and I mean GREAT) to good shopping and the people are just so darn nice.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in MSU Softball right now?
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! Fans can find out everything they need to know about us on Twitter @MStateSB and Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateSB. We just hired a new volunteer assistant who was a four-time All-American. We just had a pitcher with College World Series experience transfer here. We have over $60,000 of renovations going up at the stadium before the season starts to improve the fan experience. We’re doing more fan promotions and giveaways than ever. It truly is a NEW ERA of Bulldog softball, and the best thing is that with free admission everyone can enjoy MSU softball. It’s going to be VANNTASTIC!

We’ve heard the 2012 home schedule may be one of the best in the country with lots of top 15 opponents. What kind of atmosphere do you expect at the stadium this season?
We expect them to be the 10th man! They ARE the difference maker that help us finish games. When we’re tied with our opponent in the last inning, they’re going to be the reason why we get it done.

Kyle Nibblett tells us Right Field Lounge is going to be a happening place this Spring. What kind of tailgating foods can we get you after a Bulldog win?
Any great ballplayer loves a good ole fashion Bulldog Dawg. Personally, like any of our players, I love chocolate! I am obsessed with Stromboli’s cookie dough bites, but we love just about anything: Stromboli’s sausage and mushroom pizza, Little Dooey’s smoked turkey sandwich, the Chipotle Glazed Pork Porterhouse from Harvey’s, a hamburger and potato salad from Brian Michael’s Meat Market or a classic Sunday Brunch at Old Venice Pizza Co.

Time to make your picks…
Your favorite place to eat in Starkville? Stromboli’s
Favorite place to shop? Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Mississippi State University Official
Favorite spot on campus? Chapel of Memories
Team you’d most like to beat this season? We play the game, and not the opponent, but I can tell you the team we’d least like to beat is ourselves.

What’s your best advice for the young Bulldogs in Starkville who may be training for future women’s athletics?
My best advice is to play softball here locally with Starkville Parks and Recreation (Sheila Runnels at Sheila@starkvilleparks.com). The other way is to attend our camps in the summer and winter. Our next camp is June 11-14 here on campus, and fans can check that out on our website (HailState.com). The goal though is to play with the best competition possible. If you’re the best on your team, find a group where you’re no longer the best. Always be playing against people better than you, so that you will become better.

A special thanks to Coach “VANNtastic” for taking some time to talk softball. It’s clear she knows her stuff and is proud of what’s happening with the program so far this year. MSU Softball opens its first home stand THIS Friday, February 17 at 5pm for the Bulldog Round Robin. The schedule includes a double header on Saturday with games at 3pm and 5pm, and Sunday at 1pm. Come out and SAVOR some great innings as the 12th man!

From the Magnolia Independent Film Festival…

The Magnolia Independent Film Festival’s fifteenth season kicks off Thursday and runs February 16-18 in Starkville, Mississippi. Featured films come from West Point, Tupelo, Birminham, Spain, Bangledesh and from across the country.  Full details and a schedule can be found at www.magfilmfest.com.

The festival opens Thursday night at the State Theatre, 213 E Main Street in Downtown Starkville at 7:00 PM. The evening begins with the short film The Secret Friend, which features actress Viola Harris (Deconstructing Harry, 1997) who gives an indelible performance alongside Siobhan Fallon (Men in Black, 1997) in this poignant and playful story. Thursday’s feature-length film Meherjaan is set during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence; its main character Meher falls in love with a soldier from the enemy side. When her love is discovered, she is shamed and silenced by her family and society.

from Maherjaan 

For 2012, The Mag includes four feature-length films in addition to twenty-two shorts, which range from thirty seconds to half-an-hour. Films by Mississippi and Alabama filmmakers will be shown along with Bad Fever, the Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award winner from this year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival on Friday evening.  Saturday afternoon’s screening concludes with Dancing with the Trees, the story of great Mississippi ceramic artist George E. Ohr, famed architect Frank Gehry and Jerry O’Keefe, the Mississippi visionary with the insight to merge their talents. Saturday evening’s screening offers a wide variety of films, closing the festival with the stark, but ultimately uplifting, Close-Up, directed by Jose Cruz Jr.

All festival screenings are at the State Theater in downtown Starkville. Come out to enjoy drink specials at the bar and watch in a relaxed, fun atmosphere where film buffs have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the filmmakers and actors. Tickets are available at the door for $10 per session. Discounted festival passes are available for those wishing to attend all festival events.

To learn more about the festival and see the complete line-up, go to http://www.magfilmfest.com, e-mail magfilmfest@gmail.com or call festival director Glen Bryant at 662-312-4430.

As if this SAVOR OUR SOUTH weekend didn’t have enough fun to offer, the Starkville Community Theatre opens it’s show, Beau Jest, tonight and runs Feb 9-12 & 14-18! We are so privileged to have award-winning theater right Downtown! We caught up with the SCT folks to talk about what makes this company so special and why folks need to see Beau Jest… Enjoy!

For those who may not be familiar with SCT, give us a quick introduction.
Starkville Community Theatre is one of the state’s most active community theatres! Formed in 1978, SCT is still growing strong and currently enjoying a successful 35th season. An award-winning theatre, SCT is active in the Mississippi Theatre Association, Southeastern Theatre Association and the American Association Community Theatres. We offer quality entertainment for our community and wonderful opportunities for theatre enthusiasts to be involved – on stage, backstage and everywhere in between!

We love having award-winning theatre right on Main Street. Why did SCT decide to locate the Playhouse downtown?
From the moment Starkville Community Theatre decided to start looking for a permanent home, our leaders knew they wanted to be downtown. In fact, several of the first people to pledge money did so with the stipulation that the new theatre be on Main Street. We looked at several places, but found the perfect fit when our longtime supporters, the Katz, offered to sell their building to us after they closed the Bridal Shop. When we first opened, there was really not much else open downtown at night. Parking was certainly easier. But we are where we always wanted to be – where we are visible and an important part of our community. We like to think that SCT helped with the revitalization of our downtown area.

The Beau Jest show will be opening on Feb 9. Tell us a little about the play.
Beau Jest is a wonderful comedy about family. It seems Sarah Goldman has called an escort service. When her date, Bob, shows up he has no idea that Sarah wants him to pose as her Jewish and very serious (surgeon!) boyfriend, “Dr. David Steinberg,” for her parents and brother, Joel. Sarah doesn’t want her parents to know that she is still seeing Chris, who is NOT Jewish. The only problem is, Bob is also NOT Jewish. Nor is he a surgeon. But just as he explains that to Sarah the doorbell rings, and dinner with the family – and all the fun that follows – is off and running. 

The Theatre has been highly acclaimed in past performances. What’s special about the local acting, directing and production talent here in Starkville?
Starkville truly has an abundance of talent. Whether veterans or newcomers, we just have exceptional people in our community who want to be involved at SCT. One of the things we believe has helped us over the years is our dedication to cultivating young talent. Whether through our own Project PLAY, led by M. J. Etua, the strong theatre program Paula Mabry built at Starkville High School or our strong working relationship with Theatre MSU, we see bright new stars coming through our doors production after production after production. We also work very hard to cultivate talent within our organization. People are encouraged to get involved in small ways like ushering, finding props, helping with set construction and then urged to become more active working backstage or in the booth or on stage. And then we look for new assistant directors who may one day before directors. SCT is a family and we understand that to continue to produce great show, we have to continue to cultivate great talent.

What do you have coming up for monthly Fourth Friday events?
Fourth Fridays is an open forum for area writers who want to have their works read by and then discussed by volunteers and interested audience members. The events are open to the public and happen on the fourth Friday of each month. This month our Fourth Friday’s theme is plays. We are currently taking submissions for the Feb. 24 event, and so if you would like to submit a work or volunteer to read, please email us at email fourthfridays@yahoo.com. March is all about the writer. We are having a grab bag and writers may submit any format – everything is welcome for the March 23 event. And April is Poetry Month so we will have an evening of Poetry on Friday, April 27.

Time to make your picks: What’s your favorite food and fashion for opening night?
Well on opening night, it is all about the champagne of course! As for fashion, whatever makes you feel fabulous and confident!

Thanks to SCT for taking the time to chat with preparations for the show in full swing! We hope you’ll take the opportunity to catch Beau Jest Downtown!

From the MS Horse Park…

Get ready Starkville, February 10 and 11 the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is coming to the MS Horse Park. Hosted by the Starkville Rotary Club, this event proves to be the club’s largest fundraiser each year. The members strive to not only make it an exciting, edge of your seat event but also donate monies raised to help support local youth through the tuition guarantee program.

This two-day event truly has something for every member of the family. For the youngsters there are pony rides and a petting zoo featuring chickens, calves, goats, and rabbits. Then for the big kids there is 2 go rounds of bull riding each night, steer wrestling, bareback riding, tie down roping, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, and team roping. There promises to be non-top action for two hours with clowning around in between that is sure to tickle everyone’s funny bone.

Friday night is known as Kids Night. Kids 12 and under get in FREE thanks to our generous sponsors: MS Farm Bureau, Tractor Supply, Mitchell Dodge, Southern Ionic, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and Clark Beverage Group. “Our sponsors have been dedicated over the years in supporting this event. We honestly appreciate their continued contributions especially in today’s economy,” says Zach Rowland, Rotary Classic Rodeo Chairman. Gates open at 6pm rodeo action at 7pm.

Then on Saturday night things kick off at 5:00 pm with the pony rides and petting zoo located on the arena floor. This will last until 6:45 pm and is free with a general admission ticket to the rodeo for that night. The rodeo action begins at 7pm.

“Come expecting the best shows since the cowboys and cowgirls that will be contending are striving to qualify to compete in Las Vegas later this year,” explains Bricklee Miller, Facility Director of the MS Horse Park. “We want people to realize that this is a great family event but these contestants are pros. It is awesome to get this kind of grand scale event right here in Oktibbeha County!”

Both nights of the rodeo there will be concessions available. The Rotarians will be working the concession stand in order to raise more money for the cause. So plan to come and have dinner or a snack while enjoying the show. Vendors will also be on the concourse so you can make rodeo purchases.

Discounted advanced tickets are on sale now at the following ticket outlets: Mitchell Dodge in West Point, The GSDP, Powerstroke Equipment, and Tractor Supply in Starkville. Advanced tickets can be purchased for $12 for adults; kids, 12 and under, need a ticket for Saturday only for $5. If you purchase your ticket at the MS Horse Park the nights of the event, tickets will be $15.

For continued updates and everything MS Horse Park, follow us on facebook: MS Horse Park. Or call our event line at 662.325.0508

Did you know that all home MSU Softball games are free? They are! When we heard from the coach that the players considered themselves to be “Starkville’s Team,” we couldn’t resist investigating a little further — especially since we’re always looking for fun things to do during Spring.  SO, we took some time to visit one of the Bulldog Softball open practices at the end of January. Kyle Nibblett with MSU Athletics was kind enough to give us a tour of the softball facilities and talk a little about the excitement surrounding MSU Softball these days.

During softball season, most home games are played 60-90 minutes prior to MSU Baseball games. Admission is free for Softball, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to add family fun to a great Bulldog weekend. Coach Vann Stuedeman is in her first season at MSU, and “VANNtastic!” is prepping the team for some stiff competition in one of the toughest schedules in the country.

This year, the team has some special things planned for home games including fun activities and prizes in “Right Field Lounge,” a guest first pitch at every game, and opportunities for area girls in uniform to join the team on field for the national anthem. During the SAVOR OUR SOUTH Super Bulldog Weekend, MSU Softball will play top-ranked Kentucky AND host the first ever Alumni Game featuring former All-Americans and Olympians. Yep, there’s LOTS to celebrate about MSU Softball this year! We’ll share our interview with Coach “VANNtastic”  in Part 2 of our visit. Meanwhile…

6 Things You May Not Know About MSU Softball:

1. The team and coaches unwind with a maroon pool table! When we saw it, it was covered with the official NCAA softballs for the year!

2. The 2012 MSU Softball team is the only one in the country to have TWO sets of sisters on its roster. Can you name them?

3. The team takes batting practice with a new volunteer coach who just happens to be an All-American as well.

4. MSU Athletics will break ground on a major stadium expansion after the close of the 2013 season.

5. MSU will host the 3-day softball SEC Tournament for the first time in 2014.

6. There are 5 top 15 teams coming to Starkville this year to play MSU!

We hope you’ll add MSU Softball to your list of fun things to do this Spring. The first home series this year begins on Friday, Feb 17! Check out the full 2012 Schedule and make your plans to cheer on the Bulldogs!

Love is in the air at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum this month! A collection of vintage Valentines from local residents is on display, and kids of all ages can enjoy an opportunity for fun. The museum volunteers are also offering visitors an opportunity to make Valentines to give to their special people.  Stop by Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday from 1:00-4:00 until February 15 and be creative!

If you’re looking for more fun for the kids during this SAVOR OUR SOUTH weekend, stop by the Museum on Saturday, Feb 11 for the annual Valentine-making party! Children may make their own Valentines from 10:00-12:00.  Supplies will be available  for a fun morning.  For information call:323-2011