Bridge photos; weekend preview; other news and notes

Trickster Holloway: Thanks for the patience

Mayor A.J. Holloway – who threw a curve ball of sorts to Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown during the Biloxi Bay Bridge dedication ceremony Thursday afternoon – said he’s pleased that motorists remained patient during the daylong ceremony, parade and fireworks prefacing the nighttime opening of the 1.6-mile bridge.

“I’ve never been one for all of the pomp and circumstance,” Holloway said Friday, “but I think MDOT did a good job of keeping the program moving, and I can understand they wanted to be extra cautious in opening the bridge with the fireworks show nearby.”

Two lanes of the planned six-lane bridge opened to traffic after the 7 p.m. fireworks show, a little later than Holloway had hoped, but without incident nonetheless.

The mayor did his part to speed things up during the 47-minute mid-afternoon dedication ceremony at the base of the bridge in Biloxi.

“I’m going to keep this short. Let’s open this bridge,” Holloway said, walking away from the podium, as the crowd laughed and applauded. The mayor quickly returned to the podium and spoke for a less than a minute, thanking Brown, the construction team and others who a hand in building the new bridge.

Quipped Brown to the audience and Holloway, a former college football standout: “Ole Miss was always known for trick plays.”


Bridge photos online

To see nearly 150 photographs from before, during and after the Biloxi Bay Bridge Ceremony, click here.

Weekend preview: Anderson festival and more

More than 300 regional artists – oil painters, watercolorists, raku potters, woodworkers and others – will be showcasing their wares throughout downtown Ocean Springs Saturday and Sunday for the annual Peter Anderson Arts, Crafts and Food Festival.

Also on the lineup this weekend: three Sea Wolves encounters at the Coliseum and Willie Nelson at Beau Rivage, and a volunteer fete with Drivin’ N Cryin’ at Hard Rock.

Read the entire list – courtesy of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau – by clicking here.

News and notes

Early notice: The Popp’s Ferry Bridge will be reduced to one lane of traffic at the bridge span on Nov. 12 and 13 from 6 p.m. to midnight so that repairs can be made to the steel grid deck.

Goldmember: Bill Raymond of the city’s Community Development Department filled in for Mayor A.J. Holloway for the Gulf Coast Mayors Halloween Costume Contest at the Hard Rock. To see Raymond’s reincarnation of the Golden Fisherman, click here.