Magee.From the town welcome sign to a cozy coffeehouse to several businesses on both sides of Highway 49, I've already known Magee for some time. Or at least I've pulled off for convenient pit stops right by the highway, headed for other destinations: perhaps north toward Jackson (45 miles away) or south to Hattiesburg (50 miles away) or the coast (a two-hour drive).[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yet as Mayor Jimmy Clyde is quick to point out, what's visible from Highway 49 is only one part of the town's total picture. "We've experienced a great deal of growth in the last few years," says Clyde. "There is more to Magee than what you see on the highway." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clyde, who is in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of his fourth mayoral term, has seen the growth firsthand. Located in Simpson County Simpson County is the name of several counties in the United States:
Some of that growth is due to proximity to larger metropolitan areas; the amenities found off Highway 49 don't hurt, either. Along with national franchises, plenty of other eateries dot Magee's "highway side." Take Zip's Cafe or Cups an Espresso Cafe, which offer caffeine jolts for weary travelers' systems. Valerie and Vic Ward, who hail from nearby Mt. Olive, took over Cups in June 2010 and say the cafe draws a potent mix of visitors and residents. "We draw clientele from across the socioeconomic spectrum," notes Vic. "Students from the junior college use the place for studying, and businesspeople use it for the free Internet access See how to access the Internet. or meet and hold interviews in our private room." Penn's Restaurant, South Fork South Fork may refer to:
Fried ice cream is commonly found at Mexican food chain restaurants in the United States (e.g. El Torito or Chi-Chi's) and fairs and carnivals. . Fernando's also offers sopapillas and flans Flans is a Mexican pop music group, which enjoyed great popularity from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Its members were female singers Ivonne Margarita Guevara García, Ilse María Olivo Schweinfurth and Irma Angélica Hernández Ochoa, "Mimí"; they're usually referred to by their first . Patrons' beverages of choice are served in mini-pitchers, large enough that I couldn't imagine anyone asking for refills. "Sometimes they do," manager Jose Perdomo counters. "In the summertime!" Speaking of warmer months, Magee has plenty of recreational spots to check out once the mercury rises. Simpson County Legion Lake is a great destination for anglers casting lines for bass or bream bream: see sunfish. bream European food and game fish (Abramis brama) of the carp family (Cyprinidae). Found in lakes and slow rivers, the bream lives in schools and eats worms, mollusks, and other small animals. . Besides the flowing fresh water, McNair Springs provides a nature trail. The town's crowning outdoor jewel has to be the ample SportsPlex facility. Here, lovers of our national pastime can pick practically any spring or summer night and take in a few frames of hardball--the SportsPlex contains eight ball fields. "We're going to host a girls' state Softball tournament in July," notes Mayor Clyde. "Also, we put in a bid for a boys' World Series. That would feature teams from Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi." Besides ball fields, twelve batting cages, two tennis courts, a football field, and a regulation baseball diamond are also part of the venue. Slip off the highway, and one can find plenty of places to play and sights to take in. "We want to keep our downtown viable and active," explains Clyde. "A few years ago, we worked on the sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping." Some shops and stores stock expected goods. Three furniture stores--Dickson's, Garrett's, and Tillman's--offer a range of chairs, desks, cabinets, and dressers. Gene Polk's Pharmacy is a venerable institution still carrying gifts, while the menu at Martha's Place provides light lunch items. Douglas Diamonds has been around for decades--long enough so that the jewelry store's current proprietor, Havard McDonald, decided not to change the name when he bought it a quarter-century ago. That made good business sense, though not every customer registered the ownership change: some still call McDonald "Mr. Douglas," even after all these years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A playful sense of lore permeates Magee: take the long-closed McAlpin department store. One person commented the establishment was one of the rare clothiers offering 35-inch dress pants for men. Another informed me that the store would ratchet up discounts, depending on how far the shopper had traveled to get there. While menswear is no longer sold on the premises, the storefront still has an unusual tenant: Music City Instruments, owned by the Garner family. The place draws customers from far and wide seeking the perfect instrument, whether it's drum kits or vintage pedal-steel guitars. Some come to take lessons from long-bearded and well-traveled guitarist Stanley Bryant; others check out periodic, in-store country, gospel, or Southern rock concerts. If you're there to see a show, consider stopping by Gibson's Western Store first to pick up a chambray cham·bray n. A fine lightweight fabric woven with white threads across a colored warp. [Alteration of French cambrai, cambric, after Cambrai, a city of northern France. shirt or other clothing suited for two-stepping. Other Magee stores feature fashion, too: Meador's focuses on menswear, Factory Connection offers women's fashion and designs, and BB's Salon and Boutique places an emphasis on young ladies. Another good time to check out Magee's amenities is during Crazy Day, held the third Saturday in September. Bursting with arts, crafts, and food booths, Crazy Day--which used to feature vendors dressing and acting in a madcap manner--is a town tradition, held since 1975. Magee is happy to mingle the nostalgic with the novel. That's the case at its newest store, the Magee Bakery. Run by Holdeman Mennonites, the bakery opened last December--and the overwhelming response has already prompted the store to expand. "We never realized what we were getting into," reveals head baker Becky Koehn. The store stocks fresh loaves, cinnamon rolls, brownies, banana nut bread, and cornflake bars (a confection con·fec·tion n. A sweetened medicinal compound. Also called electuary. comprising flakes, peanut butter, and corn syrup corn syrup Sweet syrup produced by breaking down (hydrolyzing) cornstarch (a product of corn). Corn syrup contains dextrins, maltose, and dextrose and is used in baked goods, jelly and jam, and candy. ). Late in the game, the bakery decided to sell an array of doughnuts, too. Good move; despite not advertising, the store received droves of customers from day one. About 100 dozen doughnuts are sold daily--largely to locals, who say the menu reminds them of a doughnut shop staple in Magee years before. "I think for the last live years, they haven't had donuts. And now they're trying to catch up," Koehn said with delight. "Everybody said Magee was crazy about doughnuts, and I've come to believe them!" The place is tucked just off of 49-a new hidden treasure to reward Magee visitors who venture beyond the highway stripes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] eat Berry's Seafood and Catfish House Cups an Espresso Cafe Fernando's Mexican Grill Magee Bakery Martha's Place Penn's Zip's Cafe shop BB's Salon and Boutique Bob's Athletic Center City Florist and Gifts Douglas Diamonds Factory Connection Gibson's Western Store Meador's Menswear Music City Instruments The Watermelon watermelon, plant (Citrullus vulgaris) of the family Curcurbitaceae (gourd family) native to Africa and introduced to America by Africans transported as slaves. Watermelons are now extensively cultivated in the United States and are popular also in S Russia. Patch Sue Ann's Uniquely Southern Gifts & Etc. Gene Polk's Pharmacy [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] see Crazy Day-September 19, 2011 Annual Christmas Parade McNair Springs Simpson County Legion Lake SportsPlex Annual Downtown Magee Block Party Photography by bonnie bon·ny also bon·nie adj. bon·ni·er, bon·ni·est Scots 1. Physically attractive or appealing; pretty. 2. Excellent. dickerson |
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