People
Derrick Martin has a passion for playing the drums. That passion started when he was just four years old. The Clinton resident practiced every day and learned his craft through Hardy Junior High and Jackson State University.
Derrick’s hard work finally paid off when he got an audition for Rock and Roll Legend, Little Richard. Through his two decade career as the drummer for Little Richard, Derrick has become a professional producer, arranger, and writer in the music business.
Derrick has taken what he has learned and is sharing it with the younger generation by producing and writing for the Up Next project. The project features young Mississippi musicians’ songs and performances on a compilation CD. Through the Up Next project, Derrick hopes to inspire the next generation of musicians to learn from him and encourage them to pursue their passions.
John Daley
John Daley of Mendenhall keeps the souvenirs of places he has visited out in his front yard. Instead of buying trinkets, he picks up rocks. Then he arranges them in interesting configurations that keeps him busy, and keeps him always searching for more rocks.
Places
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center breaks the rules of traditional museums by encouraging visitors to touch, talk, play and learn. The exhibits are catalysts for questions, exploration and discovery. Thus the entire experience is a playground for the mind. The Discovery Center is located in the former Mississippi City Elementary School in Gulfport, which was constructed in 1915 and offers 15,000 square feet of exhibit space. The bottom floor of the museum was completely washed out by Hurricane Katrina. But, in June 2006, less than one year later, the museum reopened with all new refurbished hands-on displays.
The interactive exhibits include an amazing two-story indoor climbing structure emulating the sea, an international travel exhibit offering children an introduction to the culture of another country, a “History Hotel” full of the treasures and secrets of Mississippi City in 1898, and a true Mississippi grocery, “Winn-Dixie Morning Market,” where visitors can shop until their hearts are content.
The Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House provides shelter to families outside the Jackson area whose children are staying in one of the metro area hospitals. It is a home where the families of critically ill children can temporarily reside in a caring and comfortable environment; a place where they can share their fears and concerns, receive the support of others who are in similar circumstances and gain strength during the most difficult time in their lives.
WINGS Performing Arts and Education Center
In April of 2009, the WINGS Performing Arts and Education Center opened. The program features performing ensembles composed of youth from the 3rd to the 12th grades. The talented youth who participate in the WINGS program commit to the arts, community service, and academic excellence.
