By Bob Arnold Town Clerk Angela Hester has returned from the three-day Mississippi Municipal Clerks and Collectors Association (MMCCA) Conference at the Embassy Suites in Ridgeland at the end of April newly prepared to deal with the challenges facing her in her position. The Association brought clerks and tax collectors together under its auspices for the fifty-first year to network, share with each other about how they address their tasks and learn how about the issues that will confront them in the year ahead. Brenda Viola discussed the character and responsibilities of leadership in a keynote speech, "The Servants' Survival Guide.: Other featured speakers included: Randy Rushing, Municipalities Committee Chairperson from the Mississippi House of Representatives, with an update on the work of the 2022 legislative session; Tom Hand, Executive Director of the Mississippi Ethics Commission, who explained the ethics surrounding various laws, open meetings, public records and minutes; Russell Wall, MMCCA President and City of Clinton Clerk, on privilege licenses. Hester serves on MMCCA hospitality and promotion committees and play a prominent role in the Association's concluding business meeting. The three-day event also included a welcoming reception and networking luncheon.

By Kara Kimbrough After last week’s column about the upcoming start of grilling season, it’s only fitting that I share a few of my favorite burger sauces. Burger purists may recoil in horror when I mention dousing, dipping or sprinkling a grilled burger with anything. Disputing their belief that the flavor of the meat should be allowed to shine, adding a flavorful sauce can and is often needed to enhance what can sometimes be a banal burger experience. I’ve always enjoyed a close relationship with sauces, dips and the like. I love topping burgers, sandwiches and even a few cuts of steak with a tangy sauce like homemade sriracha. It’s made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, salt and sugar. Another favorite is Mississippi comeback sauce. Recipes for the ketchup-based sauce abound, depending on the region of the state and many other factors. Just as I prefer my burgers adorned with sauce, I can’t imagine enjoying fries or chips to the fullest without a bowl of my favorite dip nearby. It’s even better when a spread or dip can double as both a topping for a burger (or other type of grilled meat) and dip for chips, crackers or crudites. Side note: many scoff at the idea of making their own ketchup, mayo or barbecue sauce, but trust me when I say the extra effort is worth it. As with any homemade sauce, being able to control the taste and healthiness by using fresh vegetables, tomato sauce, sour cream and spices, to name a few ingredients, more than makes up for the time spent making your own. If you own a food process or blender, most sauces only take a few minutes to whip up. If grilling and blending sounds like too much work, there are several restaurants around the state that serve outstanding burgers with a side of “special sauce.” A few worth checking out include: 1. Zip’s in Magee, a long-time family eatery, is almost as famous for its “Zip Sauce” than for the signature burgers named “best in Mississippi” several times. Make sure to order the battered fries and an extra helping of Zip Sauce for dipping. 2. Tupelo’s Neon Pig serves an amazing lineup of food – check out their eclectic, fun menu to see what I mean – but the burgers and special sauces are hard to beat. Crowd favorites are the Smash burger served with a hearty side of Comeback sauce (named “best burger in America” at one point) and the Belvis with a spin-off name of Tupelo’s most famous son. Topped with bacon pimento cheese, jerky sauce and Creole mustard, it’s a creation of which Elvis would be proud. 3. The Gulf Coast is known for seafood, but that hasn’t stopped Biloxi’s old-school eatery, Burger Burger, from gaining national acclaim. Its namesake burger, the Burger Burger, of course, is juicy and delicious and encased in a crispy po’boy bun. But it’s the restaurant’s top-secret burger sauce on top that steals the show. While you’re in Biloxi, don’t forget to stop by the city’s beautiful welcome center. It’s the white antebellum style building across from the Biloxi Lighthouse. Besides offering above-average rest stop accommodations, the spacious center is filled with multiple rooms filled with artifacts and engaging displays depicting the history and progression of the city. Biloxi’s history dates to 1699, making it one of America’s oldest cities. Here is the recipe for one of my favorite sauces – it’s very similar to the famous sauce served at a national chain known more for its chicken tenders than burgers. However, its deliciousness translates, making it the perfect burger sauce and dip for my favorite chips. Perfect Burger Sauce and Chip ‘n Dip 1 cup real mayonnaise 4-5 tablespoons ketchup (add to taste) 5-6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon hot sauce (substitute vinegar if you don’t like the heat) 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch of celery salt Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Cover and chill overnight or at least six hours before serving. Recipe doubles easily. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

The Co-Lin Softball team is fresh off their win at the 2022 MACCC Softball Tournament and are now set to host the NJCAA Region 23 Softball Tournament in Wesson beginning on May 11. The Region 23 Tournament will feature the top five teams from the MACCC Tournament along with LSU-Eunice. The No.5 Lady Wolves will be the top seed of the tournament, followed by the No.8 Lady Bengals of LSU-Eunice as the two seed, the No.4 Lady Bobcats of Jones as the three seed, the Lady Tigers of Northeast MS as the four seed, the No.13 Lady Rangers of Northwest MS as the five seed, and the No.6 Lady Indians of Itawamba as the six seed. Tickets will be sold for $10 per day and no season tickets are allowed for the tournament. All games will be streamed at: https://colinathletics.com/general/live_stream The top two teams from the Region 23 Tournament will qualify for the NJCAA Division II Softball Championship held in Oxford, Alabama from May 24-28.

By Bob Garver After “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” I was a little apprehensive about the Marvel Cinematic Universe exploring more of the Multiverse. Sure, seeing guest stars from two other universes was great and all, but I was (and still am) worried that the MCU will use the Multiverse as an excuse to do whatever it wants. Years of continuity can be undone with the writers just shrugging and saying, “The Multiverse.” Don’t get me wrong, some course corrections may be worth making (can we get Michael B. Jordan’s “Black Panther” villain Erik Killmonger back somehow?), but if they’re overdone, the movies will become stakeless and uninteresting. The good news is that “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” doesn’t fall into this trap. Aside from a rapid-fire sequence in the middle, this movie only spends significant time in four or five universes. We get a variety of settings without the movie overdoing it, like the imaginative-but-cluttered “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” For a movie about the Multiverse, this movie was a lot more grounded than I expected, and I mean that in a good way. The bad news is that I couldn’t really get invested in the story in any universe, and of course I don’t mean that in a good way. Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is unsatisfied with his life post-“Avengers: Endgame” People blame him for the completely-necessary five year “blip,” his former girlfriend Christine (Rachel McAdams) is getting married to someone else, and he has a recurring nightmare in which he’s unable to save America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a teenager with the ability to jump between universes. Chavez is being hunted by Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff, who wants to fatally drain her of her powers so she can hop to another universe and reclaim her children, who were born and lost in the MCU TV series “WandaVision.” Best case scenario: Chavez is in life-threatening danger. Worst case scenario: the fate of multiple universes is in danger. Strange and his temple’s army, led by Wong (Benedict Wong) fight diligently to protect Chavez from Scarlet Witch, but ultimately it is decided that a change of venue is in order. Strange and Chavez hop universes, and end up in one where Strange is put on trial before a council of other Marvel characters. This lineup includes a returning Mondo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), though most have yet to be seen in the Disney-owned MCU. I had heard in advance of one cameo, so I wasn’t taken off-guard, only to be taken completely off-guard by another one I hadn’t heard about. Sadly none of the council members put up much of a fight against Scarlet Witch, who has never been treated as more than a B-level Avenger at best. I know I said the fate of multiple universes “might” be in danger, but the stakes never seem to involve more than the lives of the core cast of characters. And sorry, but these are not the most interesting characters in the MCU. Chavez is just a scared teenager, Christine a standard love interest, Scarlet Witch a glorified entitled brat. Even Strange himself has never been a favorite of mine, with a demeanor too similar to Iron Man’s, though Cumberbatch and his unconvincing American accent can never match Robert Downey Jr’s charm. Their lives don’t mean much to me, is what I’m saying. It all adds up to an absolutely typical MCU movie, save for some creative, sometimes shockingly violent touches from director Sam Raimi. But even he seems to be on autopilot at times, often revisiting familiar tropes like a Macguffin-y book, zombies, evil doppelgangers, and a cameo by an actor he likes. Granted, it’s a funny cameo, maybe the funniest part of the movie, but it’s completely expected from Raimi. For a movie whose very title tells us to be prepared for anything, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” can never quite deliver the right amount of chaos. Grade: C “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, frightening images, and some language. Its running time is 126 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

By Guest Columnist Yancy Methvien Unemployment is currently pretty low. There are lots of jobs out there. One job segment that always seems to be hiring is the service industry, and for good reason: service industry work, especially entry-level jobs, are not all that well paying. And then there's the tendency of the people being served to be a bit rude and sometimes downright ugly to their service providers. The sports world has such jobs. Officiating, for example. There has been a severe shortage in sports officials across the entire country, and it has only gotten worse over the last several years. But you can see why. This past month in Laurel, Mississippi, fast-pitch softball umpire Kristi Moore was assaulted by an angry parent after a game. Moore was on her way to her vehicle when the mother of a player ambushed her. Her face was very swollen from the attack, but fortunately no other injuries were inflicted. The parent ambushed Moore because she was upset that she had been removed from the playing area for using excessive profanity. She was later arrested, fined less than $500, and was released that night. Just a few days later, a male umpire in The Colony, Texas, was assaulted on the field by a coach who disagreed with a call at home plate. The umpire needed to be taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion after the coach shoved him in the head and caused him to fall. These are just two of the most recent national stories involving physical assaults on umpires and referees. Refs and umps have been on the receiving end of heckling since the beginning of time, but what is terrible is just how common verbal abuse and assault of officials at the hands of both fans and coaches has become and just how often it occurs at the youth-sports level. Some of the behavior is absolutely deplorable. There are many reasons why these incidents occur, and it would take a professional psychologist to unpack them all, but a few of the reasons are obvious. We are just getting together with one another again after being cooped up during a pandemic, and some of us are still not ready mentally. That’s on top of the standard stress involved in youth sports and the expenses of travel and practice, with the accompanying pressure parents and coaches feel to develop their children into winning players. Add the other stresses of their lives, and somewhere in all that they become incapable of relaxing at a ballgame. The officials aren’t there to be the outlet for frustrations and they aren’t there to rig the game for either team. They are certainly not paid enough to take some of the abuse they do. Most officials aren’t even in it for the money. While sports officials are compensated above minimum wage, they don’t see what could be considered “a living” until they have several years of experience and are good enough and/or lucky enough to get hired to work at the college level. Most officials work youth-level through high-school level as part time work and are people that love the game and what it can do for kids. These are people we need to treat with more respect so that they will keep providing kids with the best on-field sports experience possible. Unfortunately, until there are some major policy shifts we won’t see a big improvement. That doesn’t mean that we as fans and adults can’t have a positive impact by being better examples and policing ourselves before things get out of hand. The truth is that even good officials occasionally make bad calls. Either they may be new to the job, or they are veteran officials who are overworked. Giving them a ton of abuse for making a mistake or bad call is not going to make them want to come back where they are treated that way. There is a shortage of officials, and there are plenty of other places for them to go work. If they leave, chances are their replacements will be even less experienced, and things will only get worse. Next time you hear someone yell at the ump or ref “I could do a better job,” politely remind them that the sign-up sheet is available online and there is currently a shortage. Also, maybe remind them that nobody shows up at their place of work and gives them abuse every time they jam up the copyimg machine or spill coffee on a desk. Most of all, remind them that kids playing the game won’t really remember the team's won-loss record ten years from now. They will remember whether they had a good time playing or bad memories from it. Behavior towards officials plays into those memories. EDITOR'S NOTE: Yancy Methvien holds the world's record for the most rounds of golf played in a single year, referees local high school football games and follows all Mississippi sports.

By Bob Arnold Some things never change. Yes. The Wesson Police Department (WPD) is moving to a new home, but Chad O'Quinn is coming back to his old desk -- or maybe a new one in the new quarters -- as WPD Chief with the resignation of Michael Stogner, who became WPD Chief in September. O'Quinn left the job in August. Now his replacement is leaving law enforcement and his post at WPD for personal reasons. "The change reflects the pressures on policing today," says Wesson Town Clerk Angela Hester. "Policing isn't easy in today's environment." O'Quinn started his law enforcement career in 1999 when he was 23 years old as a shift sergeant and deputy at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office after previously working briefly for his family's trucking company. He came to Wesson by way of Brookhaven in 1990, started going to Wesson Attendance Center in the ninth grade, and graduated from Wesson High School in 1993 before serving in the U.S. Army from 1994-1998 as a supply specialist. In his initial Army stint, O'Quinn served one year at Camp Casey in South Korea and two years at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He went back into active service in the military in 2009-2010 as a supply specialist for the Clinton, Mississippi, based National Guard 114th Military Police Company at FOB Marez, Mosul Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), during Iraqi Enduring Freedom. Until his honorable discharge from the National Guard in 2012, O'Quinn's law enforcement career evolved simultaneously. He joined the Wesson Police Department in 2002, while continuing to work at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office until 2004 and then moving to the Copiah County Sheriff's Office, where he was the canine interdiction officers as a patrol captain enforcing drug laws along Interstate 55. Just before his deployment to Iraq with the National Guard, O'Quinn's biological father, with whom he was developing a relationship, was murdered while working in the Wesson pawn shop he owned and operated. O'Quinn married his wife Michelle in 1998, and they have two grown children -- Deanna and Brandon, both Wesson High School graduates. O'Quinn has Associate's Art Degree in criminal justice from Co-Lin. Stogner, a Natchez native, started working in law enforcement in 2001 with the Hazlehurst Police Department. A graduate of Wilkinson County Christian Academy, Woodville, Mississippi, he worked in a variety of private sector positions before joining the staff at the Copiah County jail. He became a Wesson police officer in December 2007 and also served the Copiah County Sheriff's Office and Co-Lin police force. He and his wife Misty have two children -- Laila and Zachery.

Thursday, April 28, 2022 was a busy day for members of the Wesson Garden Club beginning with Wesson’s 51 Diner owners, Richard and Pam Skinner, honoring the Club with a delicious luncheon. The Skinners wanted to recognize and thank the members of the Garden Club for all their work and efforts in keeping the Town of Wesson looking beautiful. Upon entering the Diner, Garden Club members placed vases of flowers on each table. The Club members then traveled to Buds and Blooms for a fun afternoon in the “Potting Shed” with owner, Donna Case. Donna taught a class on container gardening and gave lots of great gardening tips. Club members were assisted with plant selection as they filled their pots with beautiful annual and perennial flowers. Sonya Cowen and Joy Phillips won beautiful container gardens created by Donna. It was truly a very enjoyable day with the delicious lunch and lots of fun and laughs in the Potting Shed. Thank you Richard and Pam Skinner and Donna Case for your hospitality. The Wesson Garden Club is a member of the Natchez Trace District - Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.

By Brett Campbell “If you didn’t opt out, you’re in. Brookhaven is in,” City Board attorney Bobby Moak told Brookhaven’s Board of Aldermen Tuesday night. Tuesday was the deadline for Mississippi cities and counties to opt out of allowing businesses that grow or sell medical marijuana to operate in their jurisdictions. According to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, local governments could opt out by a vote of the board or council within 90 days of the bill’s passage, which ended May 3. Aldermen opted not to vote, allowing the deadline to pass. Attorney Moak told the Board there were “a couple of major things” they should keep in mind. “The Department of Health has not given full and final regulations and will not do so until June 1,” Moak said. “The City Council has not zoned (for this) and you will have the opportunity to do that.” With recommendations from the Zoning Board, the Board of Aldermen has the ability to limit where dispensaries can be located. “We can prohibit them within certain areas?” asked Alderman-at-large Don Underwood. "Absolutely. Absolutely you can,” Moak replied. Where governments opted out, 20 percent of 1,500 voters (whichever is fewer) may then petition to put the issue on a local ballot, and an election must be conducted within 60 days. The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors voted to opt out. At least one group — Stop the Opt Lincoln County — is actively recruiting signatures on a petition to challenge that decision. The Board can choose to opt back in even without an election. Leaders across the state who ultimately opted out gave several reasons for their decisions, including concerns about regulation of the program, impacts on law enforcement and public safety, and zoning issues. In any community that permits medical cannabis, dispensaries must be located more than 1,000 feet away from churches, schools and daycares, and cannot be within 1,500 feet of another dispensary. Ten counties opted out — Lincoln, Calhoun, George, Lauderdale, Leflore, Newton, Neshoba, Pontotoc, Tippah and Pearl River. Seventeen municipalities opted out — Amory, Brandon, Clinton, Ecru, Flora, Gluckstadt, Greenwood, Horn Lake, Lucedale, Madison, Noxapater, New Albany, Pass Christian, Pontotoc, Ridgeland, Southaven and Sumrall. In June, the Mississippi State Department of Health will begin accepting applications for dispensaries, registering practitioners and issuing registry ID cards. MSDH will also start licensing non-dispensary medical cannabis businesses. One month after that process begins, the state will begin licensing dispensaries. But the Brookhaven Board’s attorney said aldermen should expect immediate interest from people who want to operate dispensaries. “You could have people tomorrow start coming to (City Clerk Samantha Melancon’s) office and say, ‘Hey, I want to sign up to sell cannabis,’” Moak said. At 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, one person was waiting for the Clerk’s office to open, and did sign a registry declaring intent to open a dispensary. By law, the registry must be available to anyone who wants to apply, and — if applicants are approved by the State — the prospective dispensary owners will be given opportunity to request approval of possible locations. “Don’t do anything with (the registry) until the (State) gives you the full and final regulations, which should come down June 1,” Moak told the Board. “Then zone it. You get to say where it goes, what time they open, what time they close and where they sit. Then adopt that as your ordinance … you don’t have to be rushed.” Aldermen voted unanimously to support the suggestion.

Opera Mississippi presents “Over The Rainbow” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, at Duling Hall, 622 Duling Ave. The sixth installment of the Duling Hall Cabaret Series sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi stars Melanie Gardner as Judy Garland and The Tyler Kemp Trio. Advance tickets may be ordered online at operams.org for $30. Remaining tickets will be on sale at the door for $35. For four decades, Judy Garland dazzled both the stage and screen with her iconic voice and girl-next-door charm. In a staged tribute to her life, audiences will hear some of her most well-known and beloved songs intertwined with stories of Garland’s life. Experience her triumphs and tribulations. Feel the inspiration she gave to fans of all ages in every authentically vulnerable performance. See the life of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars retold by singer Melanie Gardner. “Judy Garland was a legend. I am incredibly honored and excited to portray her with Opera Mississippi,” says Gardner about her involvement with the show. Gardner first performed with Opera Mississippi as a young artist while attending the University of Southern Mississippi as a graduate student. A truly multi-faceted singer, she performs opera, musical theater, jazz, blues, and contemporary genres both on the mainstage and off in concerts throughout the southeastern United States. Some of her mainstage roles have included: the title role of Suor Angelica, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Ham in Noye’s Fludde, and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. During her years living in New Orleans, Gardner fronted her own jazz band and performed with the New Orleans Opera Chorus. As a member of the original New Orleans band, The Asylum Chorus, she recorded two full-length original albums and performed at Voodoo Fest, French Quarter Fest, and Preservation. Gardner currently makes her home in Denton, Texas, teaching private voice and musical theatre classes while pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Mobile. “Part of Opera Mississippi’s mission is to support young and regional artists who are either from Mississippi, living and working in Mississippi, or who have attended Mississippi schools, colleges, or universities. We are excited to engage artists, like Melanie, and bring talented artists who create memorable shows for Mississippi audiences!” says Executive Director, Stacey Trenteseaux. The final performance of Opera Mississippi’s 76th season, “Lady Sings the Blues,” showcases Rhonda Richmond, Mississippi artist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and instrumentalist. For more information on tickets to this and the entire Opera Mississippi season, visit operams.org or call 601.960.2300.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum along with the Pearl River Resort and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is pleased to announce that Hall of Fame Baseball Coach Ron Polk will be the featured speaker at the presentation of the 2022 Ferriss Trophy. The Ferriss Trophy is named in memory of the former Major League star and long-time Delta State baseball coach Dave “Bo” Ferriss and annually goes to the Most Outstanding College player in Mississippi each year. This will be the 18th presentation of the award. The winner will be announced at luncheon held at the Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson on May 23rd. Polk, the legendary coach who is a member of six Halls of Fame is best known for his two terms as the Head Baseball Coach at Mississippi State. He guided the Bulldogs from 1976 thru 1997 and returned in 2002 thru 2008. Overall, his record stands at 1373-702-2. His teams won 5 SEC Championships, 5 SEC Tournaments, played in 23 NCAA Tournaments and went to the College World Series 8X. Currently Polk resides in Starkville and serves as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at Mississippi State. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and was the 2017 recipient of the “Rube Award” for his service to sports in the state. Tickets for the luncheon banquet are on sale now at the Hall of Fame office or online at www.msfame.com. Individual tickets are $40 each and tables of 8 are available. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 and this year’s winner will be announced at the close of the event. Finalists for this year’s award will be announced May 16th. The list of previous winners of the Ferriss Trophy include current professional players Drew Pomeranz, Chris Stratton, Hunter Renfroe, Brent Rooker, Nick Sandlin and two-time winner Jake Mangum. This will be the first in-person presentation since 2019, the 2020 season was cancelled and the 2021 presentation was virtual.

BY Mika Hartman Bases are loaded, I’m up. This pitcher facing me is the best at fast curveballs. Deep breath. Focus. Believe. I can do this…. I have no choice but to knock it out of the park. As a mom to three and as a mom to a child with special needs, my own health is vital to me. I do understand that much is unforeseen, but the science of genetics and your family history can paint a picture of what’s to come for some of us. My arch nemesis’ are heart disease and breast cancer. Loaded family history. My heart issues were discovered in my early 30’s and I see Cardiology annually to stay heart healthy. As for my family history and having the ATM gene, the breast cancer part of my journey, I decided to be proactive recently. At the end of March, I went under for a preventative double mastectomy. It was an easy choice for me. Not only do I have memories of this ugly disease, but I have a lot of work to do here for Hudson’s future and my time is already stretched thin. Obviously, I was on the right track and had no idea that my preventative surgery was actually removing cancer I already had. I am 46. My mom, grandma and aunt were all 50 and over; not news we were expecting. Carcinoma: Positive. When the news came in, I already had been healing for a week and still had two drainage bulbs as my gory accessories. With the new diagnosis, it’s likely more surgery from the positive margins left behind. And my hope of not needing an oncologist, I was now hearing that I need two. This is all fresh and I still have no idea of what’s to come, but I believe that God uses us to share the message He provides during good and bad times. Here’s what I know so far: I will be fine. I will not let this slow me down. And my favorite part, I will lead by example to my children of how wonderfully God designed me and fight for me and for them. God does prepare us and I pray constantly that this isn’t a way for me to prepare for any more oncologists in our future, but no matter I will face any and all challenges ahead with the same “I WILL KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK” attitude. I have no choice. Sharing this so publicly is to encourage kindness. We all have life’s curveballs that many have no idea about. A smile can a long way. A phone call, email or even a text can brighten a day. The friends you have in your communities that have children with Down syndrome often feel alone. Uninvited to parties or playdates, discouraged from outings to not hold other friends back from fun, they are sitting alone in their cars while waiting on therapy and so on. It shouldn’t take a diagnosis of cancer to reach out, they need you now. Please know that I am crazy happy for all who have shown the greatest love and support, but my cancer I will fight and it will be gone. Hudson was born with an extra chromosome that won’t go away and he needs the love more than I do. I am accepted in society. But having a child with special needs has sadly been lonely. Let me decide what we can and can’t do…. To be invited is the game changer for all who are on my path. Down syndrome has opened a beautiful door to new friendships that I would be sad to not know now, you should get to know these wonderful people, too. Many extra big acts of kindness are found in many ways, like nominating Prom Kings and Queens with Down syndrome or cheering at the Buddy Walks in your area or getting your school or office to wear crazy socks for WDSD. We love all this, we do, but being invited to birthday parties, sleepovers, to the movies… these acts are way more inclusive and impactful on our children and us, too. Having people who see our children’s abilities in their learning environments is encouraging and provides hope. We already know that are precious children, so that is great, but as a teacher, we need you to push them as you would a typical child, like your own child. Churches, find your own “Buddy System”. See that every child has the opportunity to know God. However it works for your church, make it happen. The parents and the kids in your disability community need to be a part of your community. That OUR is capitalized for a reason. It belongs to both you and I, together. We can work with anyone who wants to learn more and do better, just ask. One thing I hear a lot is about children and their curiosity. If your child has ever embarrassed you in public by asking a question loudly about a child with a disability and you hushed them, you missed a beautiful opportunity to teach them. Maybe its because you aren’t educated in the disability to share? Or maybe you think it will upset the person or momma hearing you? Or maybe it’s that you don’t think you have the time to “get into it”? No matter the reason, your child is asking and we would love for you to teach them or ask us to help. I am not educated in all disabilities, I am well educated in kindness. A generic answer can suffice, “God made her/him, just as He made you… both very special”. Or you could say, “lets go talk them and learn together”. To hush your child is awkward for everyone. It leaves us wondering what your real thoughts are or question why you don’t want your child to learn? Be kind. Always. Let me educate you about Down syndrome: A person born with Down syndrome has an extra copy of the 21st chromosome. This means that they have a total of 47 chromosomes. Most people born have 46 chromosomes total. This one extra gene causes them to develop differently. Children still look like their families. They may have almond shaped eyes, a flatter profile, larger tongues, sandal toes, sparkles in their eyes called Brushfield spots, shorter arm or legs, but they have a mom and a dad that they get their genes from. Down syndrome is not contagious. You are born with the extra chromosome, No one know how this happens, but it is a miracle that we have these wonderful people in our communities. Larger tongues can make speaking clearly harder for individual with Down syndrome. The ability to speak truly depends on the child, but friends and family have no problems communicating however is best with them. That's why learning and not hushing is so important. Most individuals have low muscle tone. This isn’t to say that they aren’t strong, it’s saying that the control to crawl, walk, run and more is often a more difficult task. But many are able to do all these hard tasks in their own time. People with Down syndrome are so loving. Hugs and acceptance go together. To be afraid is silly. You’ll miss out on this love if you shy away from them. Give them a chance to be your friend, I know they’ll give you one. Down syndrome doesn’t have a number system. You are born with it or not. Many challenges face our friends, especially their health. This varies from child to child. Some have heart defects at birth and some don’t. Some have the battle of cancer and some never do. Some have autism and many don’t. Just like everyone born, we all have our own journey, no two alike. Similar paths can be found, but none are cookie cutter. Talk to your children Teach them to not be afraid. God created us all. Period. No mistakes. Take every opportunity to raise the next generation to be more inclusive. Diversity is talked about daily, this includes my son. Kids and young adults can use “Down syndrome” as a rude comment or as a joke. This hurts. If you hear ANY child or person belittling one of God’s children, be a voice for change. We shouldn’t have to fight all the battles alone. I’m fighting for him, like my cancer, I have no choice but to knock it out of the park! My life’s EXTRA curveball can’t stop me. Bases are loaded, YOU’RE up….

I started writing all about World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) and how my family and I have been able to celebrate this day the last four years. March 21st wasn’t a day we even knew to celebrate before Hudson’s diagnosis. Now we have this annual beautiful day and it has the most wonderful fun meaning, 3-21, because a baby with Down syndrome is born with a third copy of the 21st chromosome. After attending the March For Life in DC and screening the pro-life movie about adoption, “Lifemark”, I decided to scrap my original story and share something deeper with you about how I got to my first WDSD still pregnant and how I will celebrate this day for the rest of my life WITH Hudson: At 29 weeks pregnant and already having a left bundle branch block heart defect of my own, my doctor suggested an echocardiogram for me. We were living in Colorado and the altitude was much different than my other two pregnancies at sea level. As with everything, I did whatever was suggested to have a healthy pregnancy and, ultimately, a healthy baby. Remember, it was at a little over 12 weeks that Hudson was determined to have Down syndrome and a hole in his little heart; so my heart health was a priority for his safe arrival. I remember all of these events like they were yesterday. I went for my ECHO and it took forever. I was twisting and turning and the look on the man’s face was alarming. He didn’t say anything was wrong, but I could tell. I laid super still and let him concentrate. CJ, my husband, couldn’t understand what was taking so long and called me over and over. My phone was in a locker and time was becoming a blur. I finally was released to go home, and I took that as a good sign? The next day, I got a call from both my OBGYN and Cardiologist. They had concerns and wanted me to come in the following day. I was getting shorter and shorter on my breathing and super lightheaded. My normal response of “I’m fine” wasn’t cutting it for them. I was 30 weeks pregnant and being admitted for immediate delivery. I was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. This meant that my heart was failing, my ejection fraction was compromised and Hudson could be in danger. This was not my plan! This couldn’t be happening. It was the most devastating news. My hospital room was a revolving door of bad news after bad news. Not one person entering my room believed it was possible for me to remain pregnant; I was begging all who would listen to me, even with my most shallow of breaths. Then the NICU brought me papers on what to expect after delivery. The information was numbing. It was all so surreal. Being born at 30 weeks was going to be much harder on my baby, his lungs, his overall health, than getting to 32 weeks…. I felt like I had failed him. I failed my entire family. Please let me get to 32 weeks! Please! Please! Please! I will do anything you ask. I can’t fail this baby boy. He’s fought so hard already, I needed to fight for him. For keeping some of this private, I won’t say names. One doctor sat down and cried with me. She knew I was hurting and that this wasn’t what I wanted. She prayed with me. She had me call her by her first name. We connected. She let me explain how Hudson already had so much against him at birth, and that it was my job to do whatever I could to help him, not add more stress to him. She was the angel I needed. This doctor believed in me and she took my wishes to the team. Half agreed to let me decide how far I could go and the other half said no. It basically came down to who was working. I could only stay pregnant if the doctor on call that day believed in me. My breathing, my ECHO, my failing heart all said no to staying pregnant. My spirit, my will, my determination said I could go way farther… just give me the chance. The head of the department listened to the doctor who cried and prayed with me. She, too, came in and sat in the same chair that I was given a “little” hope in, and a little was way better than none. She let me share my same desires and fears about delivering Hudson so early with her. This was the doctor who gave me “options” at my 12 week appointment when seeing Hudson’s soft markers of Down syndrome; so she already knew my heart and my love for this baby I was carrying. She couldn’t promise that my wishes would be met at this hospital, so she moved me. This was the chance I needed. Within an hour, my room was filled with what looked like the new team of female Ghostbusters. I’m serious. The women all in astronaut like suits came in to save the day for me and Huddy. They were my ambulance escort team from Colorado Springs to Denver. Y’all, I cried happy tears and scared tears the entire way. I didn’t know what to expect. Was I moving farther away from my family to still deliver him? Was I asking for the impossible? Was this God answering my prayers? What would happen now? After we arrived, the new team came in to talk about what we needed to do. The first thing was to repeat bloodwork, get an EKG and get everyone on the Cardiac team and OBGYN team all on the same page. It was suggested that we needed a heart cath, a strong suggestion in order to keep me pregnant. My husband wasn’t all in like I was. He is medical and he questioned the safety for us. I was willing to do anything that would keep Hudson in my belly. CJ agreed to my reasoning and I was scheduled for the next day. This is so clear to me. The next morning, my room filled with so many new faces. There was so much equipment needed to travel with us, not only support my needs, but Hudson’s, too. So much that we could not all fit on the elevator. So my nurse stayed with me and we met the others on the floor. And piece by piece, we made it off the elevator and into the room for our (mine and Huddy’s) procedure. This was the make or break. This would decide the next steps. Music was playing. People were chatting and laughing. It was freezing and my teeth were chattering. I was told that I would stay awake by my nurse. The procedure began and while there was no pain, I could feel things and I could see smiles. I felt hands and pressure and I could hear the instrument going in my neck. My heart was beating on the monitor and so was Hudson’s. Then the room changed. Panic was on many faces, smiles were gone. My heart wasn’t beating near as fast, I saw the monitor and I was beating at thirteen beats per minute. My doctor was yelling at the staff, “turn off the music now and leave this room if you can’t stop talking!”, then my nurse said that I needed to go to sleep now. I can still feel the tear slowly running down my cheek. I knew we were in trouble. Now, I am asleep and my husband, who feared this exact scenario, was getting this call. “Mika is struggling. The probe hit her heart bundle three times and she is in complete heart block. The team is on its way to deliver Hudson. We are still trying to save Mika.” I am asleep and have no idea that my husband all alone is getting this news. He said he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t talk and every call he tried to make the words couldn’t come out. My survival was in question and Hudson’s was unknown, too. I did wake up. I remember the first face I saw, my nurse, who is still today in my life and someone I treasure. But I didn’t know at the time what her job was. I assumed watching me. I assumed Hudson had been born. I assumed that my heart dictated that pregnancy was no longer my wish to remain, but that the doctors had control over this now. I connected eyes with CJ and repeated over and over how sorry I was. He asked what I was sorry for? Making Hudson’s life harder, that wasn’t why I did all of this. He then told me that I was still pregnant. You see, I had a temporary pacemaker in my neck and so many pillow propping me up, I couldn’t see my belly. I was still pregnant! All of that and I still did it. And a MIRACLE occurred even larger than my heart failing and remaining pregnant, Hudson was thriving. My heart working properly with this device gave Hudson his best chance. He went from the 35th percentile to the 67th percentile in the week I was in Cardiac ICU. The pacemaker was pumping my heart better than I was and it made a huge difference for my baby. We made it. Three weeks total was spent in the hospital and I went home STILL PREGNANT. Of course, I had to wear monitors and check in all the time, but we went all the way to 37 weeks. Funny, it was the fluid in my belly that caused me to deliver then, not my heart. I guess momma built the luxury swimming pool for her brave boy? I spent my first WSDS not only pregnant, but wearing crazy Wonder Woman socks, very appropriately chosen. Ha! You see, my first World Down Syndrome Day was very different than what would’ve been had I delivered Hudson at 30 weeks. We would have, at best, still been in the NICU with no homecoming in sight… or we wouldn’t have; that would’ve been the worst version of my story. Hudson, even born at 37 weeks, needed open heart surgery. Hudson had blast cells called transient leukemia on day one of life. He had thyroid issues and blood that clotted immediately. He spent 6 weeks of life in the NICU and failed every carseat challenge. The mountain he had to climb at 37 weeks was steep enough, can you imagine him climbing all this and more at 30 weeks? I share this to tell you that you are as strong as I am. If this wasn’t my story, I would be thinking how strong this person is. This person is me and I am much stronger than I knew I was. How could I be anything else? We forget that we were/are ALL created in His image and our strength is mighty. Hudson is mighty, too. My hero; he can do all things, because with God all things are possible. March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day. Celebrate the lives that fought so hard to be here. The real life heroes. Celebrate by wearing crazy socks or walking 3.21 miles. You can donate to your local Down syndrome organizations. Wear something blue and yellow. Read a book about Down syndrome. Educate yourself or teach your child about Ds. Find out how your local areas celebrate and join in on the fun. You’ll be EXTRA happy you did. My first one was big belly dancing in super fun socks, but since then, my WDSD activities have grown way bigger than my belly and with Hudson in my arms or dancing in his own crazy socks. One day, he will be walking his own 3.21 miles… all because one doctor believed in me and my ability to carry Hudson for much longer. It is because of my determination that I get to celebrate WDSD with the EXTRA love of Hudson beside me.