Registration now open for Fire Academy for Kids

The Biloxi Fire Department is now taking applications for its hugely popular Fire Academy for Kids.

The program is a free, five-day participatory camp for children ages 7 to 12 and is conducted at Fire Station No. 1, in the Lopez Quave Public Safety Center, 170 Porter Ave., and at the nearby West End Hose Company No. 3 Fire Museum, 1046 Howard Ave.

The academy will be from 8 a.m. to noon on June 6-10 and is open to the first 40 registrants.  Registration deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, May 13.

The sessions allow campers to learn life-safety skills in fire safety and first aid through classroom activities, hands-on training and homework. They are also introduced up close and personal to firefighters, the equipment they use and the jobs they perform. Each day snacks and a beverage will be provided to the children.
See registration forms

 

Podcasts: Mayor on the issues and more

Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich sits in on the City Desk podcast this week, discussing myriad city issues and initiatives, including last week’s “100-year rain event,” advancements in public safety technology, a preview of the new Margaritaville resort, and, of course, what’s being done to move forward on the roads in east Biloxi roads.

The mayor wraps up the 17-minute show, taped Thursday, reminiscing about the day James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, played Biloxi’s Yankie Stadium.
Listen to the City Desk podcast

 

Weekend preview: Block party, Paul Anka and more

The Shuckers aren’t back in town until Monday, but meanwhile downtown the weekend kicks off with Main Street’s First Friday! block party featuring Prima Donna and a host of exhibitions.  Elsewhere this weekend you’ll find concerts by Paul Anka and Queensryche, and a country tribute show at Center Stage.
See the weekend’s entertainment listings

 

City auction weekend off to a good start

Dozens of prospective buyers got a firsthand look today at more than 500 seized or found items that the city will auction Saturday. The items are surplus or seized and include bicycles, heavy equipment, vehicles, TVs and more.

The public auction will take place Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at the city’s impound yard off Popp’s Ferry Road, east of Cedar Lake Road. Admission is a $10 non-refundable fee, and only those 18 and older will be admitted.

Said longtime auctioneer Nick Clark: “I would say that you are going to get unbelievable deals. The highest bidder takes it, regardless of the bid.”
See photos from the preview today
See an online listing of items, with photos

 

Ohr’s huge baseball exhibit opens next week

South Mississippi’s long and enduring love affair with baseball is the subject of a new six-month multi-media exhibit and luncheon series opening Tuesday at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi and running through Nov. 4.

The exhibition, titled “Our Love Affair with Baseball,” will shine a spotlight on locals who have been involved with major league baseball, trace the days when Biloxi hosted spring training for Major League teams, chronicle the Biloxi Shuckers rousing inaugural season, and tell the story of the Biloxi Dodgers, the storied semi-professional team that played in an all-Negro league but eventually began inviting white players to participate.
Learn more about the exhibit

 

News and notes

Blessing of the Fleet contest winner:  Scott Rushing Jr. is the winner of the poster contest for the 87th Annual Blessing of the Fleet and Shrimp Festival.  The announcement was made this week during a reception at the Biloxi Visitors Center.

City Council: The next scheduled meeting of the Biloxi City Council will be Tuesday, May 17 at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall. To see the schedule of the city’s regularly scheduled public meetings and to learn how you can be involved in municipal government, click here.

Nomination reminder No. l: Nominations are now being accepted for the Biloxi Preservation Awards, which recognize individuals, businesses and organizations restoring and promoting Biloxi’s architectural character and traditions. The nomination deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, May 13. For details and to print a nomination form, click here.

Nomination reminder No. 2: Nominations also are being accepted for the Biloxi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2016. The nomination deadline is 4:30 p.m., Thursday, June 30. For details and to print a nomination form, click here.

Stamp Out Hunger: The U.S. Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers will be collecting canned food on Saturday, May 24, in an annual second-Saturday-in-May affair that has become the nation’s largest one-day food drive. You can also drop off canned food items through May 14 in a collection bin in the lobby of City Hall. To read more about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, click here.