Crews, volunteers to focus on medians Friday

Motorists on U.S. 90 in Biloxi will notice hundreds of people — city and county crews, Keesler volunteeers and others — picking up litter, shoveling sand and edging the center medians and sidewalks on Friday morning.

The effort, designed to spruce up the highly traveled beachfront, is expected to cause intermittent lane closures from 6:30 a.m. to noon, and motorists are advised to use caution.

“This is something we’ve talked about with Main Street Biloxi and Keesler, and it’s something we actually had wanted to do about a month ago,” said Sherry Bell, acting director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We weren’t able to work it out scheduling-wise then, but now it’s working out even better with Cruisin’ the Coast just around the corner.”

Volunteers interested in taking part in the effort should report to Miramar Park, on west beach in Biloxi, at 8 a.m. Friday.

Said Bell: “We already have hundreds of airmen coming from Keesler, along with city and county crews, and we certainly welcome others, as long as they check in at Miramar at 8. We’ll have a free lunch for everyone at 12:30 at Miramar.”

Historical Society to meet; new members welcome

The Mississippi Coast Historical & Genealogical Society will meet Saturday at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the Biloxi Community Development Building on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.

The group is already working on its 2011 history week observance, and, says historian Edmond Boudreaux, “Here is your opportunity to attend a meeting and see if the historical society is right for you. For those who enjoy doing genealogical research or just wonder who their ancestors were, this is where it begins.”

During the business section of the meeting an election of officers will take place, and Boudreaux will make a presentation on French Colonial History.