Looking for an escape?
With the statewide shelter-in-place order extended another week, many people are looking for something to do to pass the time or a way to escape reality during the coronavirus pandemic.
The spring issue of Leflore Illustrated offers just that.
Get lost in the clouds with the magazine’s cover story. Balloon pilot Mike Hanson, the IT director at Wade Inc., runs a side business, Delta Breeze Adventures. He travels to balloon events and competitions throughout the South and other parts of the country. The owner of three hot air balloons, Hanson is usually busy with ballooning on the weekends from April to November.
Another high-flying Greenwood native featured in Leflore Illustrated is Hunter Stuckey, a world traveler who spends his days up in the air as a pilot for FedEx.
The spring magazine also highlights some talented musicians.
Charles Hall has been helping people in Greenwood find their talent for one instrument or another at his store, Charles Hall Studio, for about four decades. Hall, who plays the guitar and keyboard frequently, can pick up just about any instrument and make music.
At Mississippi Valley State University, the first-year director of choral activities is living out his dream of teaching music on the college level. Brandon Cash, who is also an assistant professor of music at MVSU, said he’s been in love with music since the age of 4.
While many know Wilton Neal as the longtime Carroll County tax assessor and collector, he is also a musician who enjoys sharing his Christian faith with the community through song. Neal leads music at Mount Olive Baptist Church and also performs during revivals and other special church gatherings.
Travel along Mississippi 430 through the hills to a place that serves what many call the “best burger” around. Since 1989, the Tackett family has owned and operated Acy’s Grocery and Deli, which is featured in the issue. The most popular item on the menu is the “famous” Acy’s cheeseburger.
Spring is a time for getting outdoors and playing sports, such as tennis.
The tennis professional for Greenwood Country Club and Twin Rivers Recreation, Marko Lovrinovic, implemented a program called cardio tennis, which combines traditional tennis practice with other endurance-building exercises. The program offers a healthy way to get in shape and burn calories.
Also a fan of spring sports is 9-year-old Riley Coleman, the subject of the issue’s “Just Ask a Kid” feature. Riley enjoys playing softball, soccer and basketball and is ready for this pandemic to subside so she can visit with her friends.
The magazine also features the Culpepper home, known in Greenwood as the Saunders mansion. Erica and Jay Culpepper call the house their “forever home” and have been adding their own personal touch with different renovation projects.
Food columnist Lee Ann Flemming says the flavor of lemon pairs nicely with a homemade pound cake and provides her Lemon Pound Cake recipe.
There’s picture pages of the Junior Auxiliary of Greenwood’s Charity Cotton Ball, and the magazine is bookended with columns — one by Commonwealth Editor and Publisher Tim Kalich and the other by Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Beth Stevens.
The spring issue of Leflore Illustrated is included in copies of the weekend edition of the Commonwealth delivered to home-delivery subscribers. Additional copies are available at the Commonwealth, the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce, the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau and multiple locations around town that are able to remain open during the COVID-19 outbreak.
•Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
