Whose story would you like to hear? Our weekly feature "A Conversation With..." offers a chance to hear from one local individual each week. Young, old, black, white — it's an ever-evolving picture of the remarkable community we call home. Look for "A Conversation With..." in The Oxford EAGLE Thursdays on Page 3, and while you're here, take a moment to suggest a potential interviewee.
Saying good-bye to a beloved school
A CONVERSATION WITH — Kainen Gilley graduates tonight at the C.M. “Tad” Smith Coliseum as part of the Water Valley High School Class of 2010. He transferred to WVHS as a seventh-grader from the Mississippi School for the Blind in Jackson, and has since developed a deep affection for Water Valley schools, and for the teachers, administrators and fellow students who have supported him. He will next spend several months at an independent living facility in Tupelo.
Answering the call, chord by chord
A CONVERSATION WITH — Oxford native Katie Heckel, a campus minister and worship leader in Cleveland, is taking seven students from Delta State University to visit an orphanage in Ghana this month. Sales from a CD of her songs helped raised $3,000 to give to Rafiki Orphanage. (May 13, 2010, Page 3A)
Asian doctor returns to Mississippi roots
Dr. Son Lam, the son of Chinese shop owners in Saigon, came to the United States as a little boy when his family was sponsored by Tate Street Baptist Church in Corinth. Today, he practices with Oxford Nephrology Associates. Lucy Schultze visits with Lam in this week’s “A Conversation With …” (May 6, 2010, Page 3)
Helping garden values take root
A CONVERSATION WITH — Principal Margaret Boyd enjoys sharing her longtime hobby of growing flowers and vegetables with children at Lafayette Elementary School. Recently, she had the opportunity to show kids how to plant vegetable seeds when the University of Mississippi’s Students for a Green Campus came out to host a Green Field Day for second graders. (April 29, 2010, Page 3)
In pursuit of something different
A CONVERSATION WITH — Oxford native Allan Innman is following the Mud Daubers pottery-student group in gathering the Ole Miss Advanced Painters for a showing at this weekend’s Double Decker Arts Festival. Innman, a staff member in the UM Art Department, will be showing both landscapes and works from his most recent collection, a nostalgic treatment of childhood toys.
A window on the past
For Tim Frieson, the sweeping wall of the west-facing windows in the Oxford Middle School Cafeteria reveals more than just a treeline and surrounding buildings. In a most literal way, it’s a window to his childhood. In “A Conversation With …” Lucy Schultze talks with Frieson about his memories of growing up in Freedmen Town and what he’s trying to do today to help youngsters much like him. (April 15, 2010, Page 3)
Living out a legacy
A CONVERSATION WITH — Jacquline Vinson lost her husband to colon cancer seven years ago, but today she’s living out his legacy in her work, in raising their three children and in establishing a scholarship endowment in his memory. The T.P. Vinson Memorial Scholarship banquet is set for this Saturday at Johnson Commons. (April 8, 2010, Page 3)
Taking care of cemetery guests
A CONVERSATION WITH – Willie Dennis has been taking care of Oxford Memorial Cemetery for 20 years. The job includes keeping the cemetery mowed, groomed and litter-free — and giving grieving families plenty of space and peace while the day’s work goes on. (April 1, 2010, Page 3)
Four feathered friends settle in
A CONVERSATION WITH — Leah Dossett recently moved from the Los Angeles area to Oxford, bringing her collection of four pet parrots. They’re set up in their new home with a room of their own, complete with a large front-facing window and a television that shows cartoons all day. Look for them to accompany her on bike rides around town as the weather warms. (March 25, 2010, Page 3)
A logical pursuit
A CONVERSATION WITH — Arseniy Parshikov came to Oxford as a teenager, and his logic-based Russian education has since served him well. He graduated from Oxford High School and today makes a living expertly hooking up vehicle audio and video systems at his business, Bump in Da Trunk. (March 18, 2010, Page 3)
