Weekend preview: Funambula and a host of performances

Highlighting the entertainment calendar this weekend are the continuing run of Funambula at the Beau Rivage, shows by America and Kathy Griffin at the Hard Rock, and Montgomery Gentry and Vicki Lawrence & Mama at the IP.

To see details on these shows and others – courtesy of online listings from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau — click here.

Monthly calendar: To see the city’s Community Calendar for the month, which is also brimming with events, click here.

Your help is needed for two relief efforts Saturday

Relief effort No. 1: Councilman Kenny Glavan reports that the Knights of Columbus are assisting with building a handicap ramp for a woman who lost her leg three weeks ago. Among the materials being sought are nine 8-foot 4x4s, 20 2x8s, 30 2x4x8s, and five sheets of three-quarter-inch 4×8 treated plywood. Those who can assist should contact Glavan at 228-223-3477. Added the councilman: “We need the help as soon as possible, as we’re looking to start work at 7 a.m. Saturday at the house on Summer Lane.”

Relief effort No. 2: Members of the Biloxi Fire Department, with support of the Fire Museum, will be helping with the clean-up of a home at 345 Randall Ave. that was heavily damaged by fire last Sunday. Off-duty firefighters and other volunteers will begin “gutting” the house Saturday morning at 7. The home had been occupied by a grandmother who was caring for six grandchildren. Said Deputy Chief John Jennings: “I can only promise three things: It will be hot, it will be dirty, and it will be very rewarding.” Those interested in helping can email John Jennings at jjennings@biloxi.ms.us or him at 228-435-6142.

Budget meetings to kick off Tuesday

The city will hold the first in a series of meetings to discuss the municipal budget Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall.

The meeting is open to the public.

Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols said the initial budget discussions will focus on available revenue before moving into departmental spending.

“We’re presenting a bare-bones balanced budget to the City Council,” Nichols said. “We’ll be meeting each Tuesday through Sept. 2, when we’ll have a final public hearing for comments on the budget.”

Financially speaking: One of the best ways to see the status of the city’s economy is to look at the “Letter of Transmittal” in the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The Letter of Transmittal is a document in which management explains the city’s financial standing using easy-to-read charts that show decade-long trends in revenues, construction and development. To see the nine-page Letter of Transmittal,
click here.

The complete CAFR: To see the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2012, a 137-page document that includes the auditor’s report, click here.

More on finances: To see a wide variety of city financial information – budgets for previous years, breakdowns on gaming and sales tax revenue and previous CAFRs –
click here.

Cemetery tour to expand this year

The city and Main Street are expanding the award-winning Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour this year, and importing a director from Biloxi Little Theater to help organize everything.

“This year, we’re going to have several dozen travel writers from the Society of American Travel Writers witnessing our tour, so we wanted to make it quite a production,” said Laurie Rosetti, who researches the characters featured each year. “We’re going to go two days this year at the Biloxi city cemetery – on the afternoons of Oct. 22 and 29 – and we’re going to have a special tour to kick it all off, on Oct. 8 at the cemetery at Beauvoir.”

In addition, Judy Madden, who directs productions regularly at Biloxi Little Theater, will oversee the entire production.

Play a role: To find out how you can audition for roles in the cemetery tours, click here.

News and notes

Webcasting: Greg Eleuterius, who oversees the city’s youth sports leagues, discusses trends he’s seeing and previews upcoming football registrations in this week’s City Desk webcast. Also, Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols talks baseball, budget and bridge in the second half of the 20-minute – yes, 20-minute – program. To listen. click here.

Visitors Center photos: More than a thousand people streamed through the doors at the Visitors Center Thursday to mark the second anniversary of the beachfront showplace. To see photographs courtesy of lensman August Taconi, click here.

Ring, ring goes the bell: Biloxi schools chief Arthur McMillan said student enrollment this year will increase by more than 200 students. Details will be available next week. For more information on Biloxi Public Schools, click here.

DRC agenda: To see the agenda for the city’s Development Review Committee meeting next week,
click here.