By Mika Hartman What makes a person valuable? It is not about money, that would make you wealthy. It’s about being helpful and useful. A valuable person will have a positive energy and they will be someone who attracts others by being trustworthy and dependable. Having a positive look on life and circumstance will always have a warmth we all crave. What I didn’t say is that being valuable is being perfect. It’s not. The common valuable traits are: Integrity, loyalty, compassion, kindness, honesty, humility, spirituality and selflessness. Reread that. The common valuable traits are: Integrity, loyalty, compassion, kindness, honesty, humility, spirituality and selflessness. Not anywhere in this list does it say a word about genetics. Actually, our friends with Down syndrome, I believe, are born with an extra helping of all the valuable traits listed above. Why don’t more see their value? Let me share with you some of my friends who make this world a better place. They all share these valuable traits and all were born with an extra chromosome. These amazing people are daily spreading love and kindness; through determination and pure heart, they are breaking barriers for my son’s future. From running million dollar companies to literally being an Iron Man Champion, there is no mountain an extra chromosome can stop them from climbing. I will start with one of my personal faves, John Cronin. John owns John’s Crazy Socks. From crazy socks to weekly dance parties, John approaches each day with an unstoppable spirit and love for life. He has a Facebook show where he literally spreads kindness. John is running the largest online sock store and he hires people with disabilities to work with him. He has a wonderful family beside him, but make no mistake, John is the boss. Check his company out: johnscrazysocks.com. John rocks! Austin Underwood is another fave! He owns Austin’s Underdawgs, a hot dawg food truck, and he created his own Austin’s Underdawgs Dawg Sauce. I have a bottle and this sauce is amazing. Austin attended Eastern New Mexico University designed for people with limited abilities and earned Prep Chef at the University. His love for food and his determination led him to owning his own business and now his love has him traveling around in the Dawgmobile. Austin estimates that he has sold more than 50,000 hot dawgs. Please congratulate Austin on his upcoming marriage to his love, Jenny. Breaking all glass ceilings. Check out his business @austinsunderdawgs.com. Go Austin! Mississippi's own, Morgan Tibbens, owns and operates DaBombs by Morgan. Bath bombs, bath salts and soap are handmade with extra love. Morgan and her mom, Denise, travel all over to bring these fabulous bath bombs to areas near you. You can even buy everything online @dabombbymorgantibbens.com. I have met Morgan. Her smile will melt you and she shows up to work. In her spare time, she travels all over to find all Elvis impersonators and show her love for the King of Rock & Roll. Morgan's business was created when she was having a hard time getting accepted to college, that she needed to work on her social skills, per the school. Well Mississippi State, she is running a successful business and spreading kindness all over our state. Morgan has value. I have dangerously ordered too many cookies from Collettey’s Cookies (not really, you can’t order too many). Collette Divitto had a hard time finding a job, so she created one. Collette’s love for baking lead her opening a cookie business. Her perfect response to her unintentional fame is, “why are people so surprised”. Collette’s signature cookie is the best cookie I have ever eaten: The Amazing Cookie (Chocolate Chip Cinnamon). Collette is in a new series on Peacock and Crave called Born For Business. She ships all over and has gluten-free options, too. Visit her @colletteys.com. You don’t need an occasion, order today. Collettey and her cookies are the sweetest. One of our favorite things to show support is to wear yellow and blue. If you are wanting to wear it, too, check out 21 Pineapples. Nate created this business to show off his love for his life and his super fun personality in shirts. The 21 is for the extra copy of the 21st chromosome and the pineapple represents friendship and a welcoming hospitality. Together, 21 Pineapples represents Down syndrome friendship while the pineapple truly wears a fun crown… it is perfect. I think my favorite shirt is the “Try Not To Suck” shirt, but they are all fantastic. Check out some cool duds @21pineapples.com. Nate will have you looking almost as cool as he does. At the age of 21, YES 21, Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an ironman triathlon. His accomplishment earned him the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance as part of the 2021 ESPY Awards. Chris is now 24 and still breaking barriers. He says his mission is “to honor God by being the best me I can be so I can be an example to others”. He recognizes that we ALL have GOD-GIVEN abilities. Chris asks: What wouldn’t you do if you knew you could not fail? With this determined heart, he created the 1% Better book that is inspiring and actionable. He has already inspired a movement in our Down syndrome community, but has a message we all could learn from. Charlotte Woodward was the first person with Down syndrome to receive a heart transplant in the United States. Her team saw her personal value. Yes, you read that right, it wasn’t until 2012 that a US doctor made the decision to give a life saving transplant to a person with Down syndrome. Charlotte asked this, “Many people with Down syndrome in society aren’t considered to be candidates for an organ transplant, and that begs the question, whose lives are valuable?”… And for this she works tirelessly to bring needed change to our whole country. Many states have adopted laws to protect individuals with Down syndrome, including Mississippi, but having it be a federal law of our land is Charlotte’s mission. Charlotte holds an associate degree from Northern Virginia Community College and recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from George Mason University with a bachelors degree in sociology with a concentration in inequality and social change. She is a staff member with NDSS. I have been on big calls with this lovely woman and her heart is mega huge! Charlotte, you amaze me! David DeSantis, Zach Gottsagen and Lily Moore have all been in my home… on my big screen! These amazing friends have amazing acting abilities. From laughing to crying, you’ll experience all the emotions when watching their movies. I have met both David and Zach and they both impressed me with there ability to articulate and communicate how to follow your dreams. They both are motivational speakers and they both encourage people to live life to the fullest and go after the life you want. I know one day we will not say “the actor with Down syndrome”, just “actor” will do! Zach Gottsagen was the first Academy Awards presenter with Down syndrome in 2020. The message is powerful: Follow your dreams! They do every day. Truthfully, all I am listing (and more) are my favorites. Each individual inspires me just like Hudson does. I will finish with my friend, Sophie Slack. I am good friends with her family. Sophie lives in West Virginia and loves building robots and competes in robotic competitions. She writes computer programs and Sophie loves being creative. Her parents were told not to expect much from their first born. Actually, the amount of negative comments they received pains me. Each and every negative comment has been proven wrong or false. This beautiful person loves life, people, learning and educating others; Sophie is a self-advocate. From law changes to being the face of the West Virginia ABLE Accounts, she is making a valuable difference in the world. Sophie is almost 19 and is a powerhouse. You are super cool, Sophie! Movies to check out: Peanut Butter Falcon Where Hope Grows Color My World With Love Honestly, I could go on and on. From Kayla McKeon, Sofia Jirau, David Egan, Sofia Sanchez, Blake Pyron, and many others breaking barriers, each of you amaze and inspire me. And to the rising advocates, like Caleb Prewitt, Sara Nye, and Mississippi’s own Josh Williams, you are making the world change for the better. Remember only you can set your limits. Keep going, I am cheering for you all. Don’t misunderstand me, you do not have to do big things or have your name in lights to have value. Each person can decide what they were born to do; I think we can all agree that a diagnosis should never limit a person. Period. Encouraging people and cheering for them, even if they have challenges, is something we all need. Actually, if a person has a harder time accomplishing goals, shouldn't they be the ones we cheer louder for? If you'll read this closely, you'll see that many of my friends above were not given a chance, they created their opportunities; and they nailed it. It is my job to provide Hudson with all the tools he needs to live his best life; building pizza boxes or running for President of the USA, he gets to choose. A seat at the table is all that is needed. It’s likely that he will not be a brain surgeon or an astronaut; however, he will have integrity, loyalty, compassion, kindness, honesty, humility, spirituality and selflessness… Hudson is EXTRA valuable. I can’t wait to see what he chooses. I will be cheering the loudest.

By Kara Kimbrough The countdown is on to Super Bowl LVII, scheduled for Feb. 12 in Arizona. If you’re a die-hard football fan, you’ll undoubtedly agree it’s the most important NFL game of the year. If you couldn't care less about the game, Super Bowl Sunday is still a great opportunity to indulge on one of my favorite food groups – appetizers, of course...the saltier and more sauce-doused, the better. From Little Smokies to sliders to chips and dips, I love ‘em all. Speaking of dips, here’s my tip of the day: Kroger brand dips are simply amazing. With flavors like Cajun-style crab, smoked salmon, French onion, ranch and Monterey jack queso, they’re priced right and taste delicious. But back to SB LVII. Whether you're hosting a party, will be a guest at one or plan to watch the “to be determined” teams from the comfort of your recliner, here are a few of my favorite football appetizers and decorating ideas. More will follow before the big game arrives. 1. Game-Winning Wings – More wings are bought and consumed during Super Bowl weekend than at any other time of the year. For easy Crockpot wings, whisk together 1/3 cup each of soy sauce, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar with a ¼ cup of honey, teaspoon each of ginger powder and ground pepper and ½ teaspoon of onion powder. Place three pounds of chicken wings in a slow cooker and stir in the soy sauce mixture, coating well. Cook on high heat for about two hours, adding a little honey barbecue sauce as needed to keep wings from sticking. Just before serving, line a baking sheet with foil and place cooked wings on the baking sheet under an oven broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred. Serve with dipping sauce. 2. One Sauce Fits All –In a food processor or blender, add a cup of sour cream, small bottle of blue cheese dressing, teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of seasoning salt. Add a dash of hot sauce if you like it hot. Process about two minutes, then chill for an hour and serve with wings or tenders. 3. Ball Bling - Purchase an inexpensive football (can be kid’s size or a Nerf football) and spray with gold glitter paint or hot-glue gold ornaments from the craft store all over the ball. Paint or glue the numbers “57” on the ball. Elevate the blinged-out ball by placing it on top of a stackable cake plate covered with a gold cloth or your favorite team’s colors. When guests arrive, have them write down their guess on the final score. Whoever gets closest to the score wins the football as a souvenir of Super Bowl LVII. 4. Ultimate Game Day Sliders – Mix one pound of ground beef with a packet of ranch dressing mix and form into small patties. Place on foil-lined baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping once. Five minutes before removing from oven, top each slider with Cheddar cheese and finish baking. Place patties in mini slider buns or King’s Hawaiian rolls, then add a Super Bowl cupcake toothpick (most supermarkets or party stores will have them) to each one to keep sliders together. Serve with burger condiments, grilled onions, pickles and dipping sauces. 5. Personal Pigs in Blankets - Put cocktail sausages or regular hot dogs on a wooden craft or Popsicle stick. Using crescent rolls or puff pastry, wrap thin dough strips around the sausage or hot dog, Brush with butter and bake in 350-degree oven for 12-15 minutes until browned. Serve with Dijon mustard and dipping sauces. 6. Super Bowl Snack Mix - Pop eight cups of popcorn. In a large bowl, mix popcorn with one cup each of peanuts and mini pretzels, a stick of melted butter, and half teaspoon each of cinnamon and salt. Bake on foil-lined baking sheet in 350-degree oven for 20 minutes; let cool. When cooled, mix in colored M&Ms. (I found Broncos-orange M&Ms at a party store). Recipe doubles easily. 7. “Don’t Forget the Vegetarians” Dip – Finely chop a cup of fresh vegetables - red or yellow bell peppers or fresh tomatoes, then add to 16 ounces of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Stir in a packet of ranch dressing mix and top with a quarter cup of chopped green olives. Serve with sliced vegetables. 8. Baked Muffalettas – Slice a large loaf of French bread lengthwise, then pile sandwiches fixings on the bottom layer: salami, ham, Swiss cheese and provolone cheese, repeating layers. Top with Italian olive salad mix, then wrap bread in foil and place on baking sheet in 350-degree oven. Bake about 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. 9. Football Tablescape, Part II – Decorate your main food table with a green and white “football” cloth purchased from a party store, or use a green tablecloth (I found one at Goodwill). Cover with white streamers to resemble lines on a football field. Or, cover your table with a cloth in your favorite team’s colors. Tip: I shop at closeout stores or Goodwill before special events to look for gently-used cloths to decorate my tables. 10. Spicy Football Spread – With mixer, combine three 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese, three cups Cheddar, cup of grated Romano cheese, cup of sour cream, teaspoon of Worcestershire and dash of hot sauce. Place mixture on piece of plastic wrap and use hands to mold mixture into football shape or place in medium-size plastic football dish covered with plastic wrap to mold into football shape. Place football on serving dish and cover with toasted pecans and dried cranberries that have been chopped in food processor. Serve with chips or crackers. Stay tuned next week for even more Super Bowl recipes and ideas. In the meantime, practice your app-making skills on one of my favorite dips. If you can’t find Kroger’s version, mine is the next best thing. Super Bowl LVII Smoked Salmon Dip 16-ounce can salmon, drained and chopped (or equal amount of frozen salmon, defrosted) 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened ¼ cup milk 2 teaspoons lemon juice Several drops liquid smoke, to taste 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon seasoning salt Dill weed, to taste Stir together salmon with cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, liquid smoke, pepper and seasoning salt. Add dill and serve with crackers or chips. Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

Excerpts from article by History.com The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures. In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing "Negro History Week." By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, "Negro History Week" had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Today, Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society—from activists and civil rights pioneers such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks to leaders in industry, politics, science, culture and more. Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings," since the nation's earliest days.

The #CHA girls look to make a run at the 5A state tournament for the 4th straight Season! This is our last chance to compete in 5A, we need the #CHA fan support! We play a GO HOME game at 4 pm today and we expect to see y’all there! Go Cougs! #defendthesouth

The #CHA #Cougars enter the playoffs seeded higher than we have in 5 seasons! THEY CAN ADVANCE and make a special run! Support your boys and let’s break through! Be LOUD! 8:30 pm, let’s go COUGARS! #SurviveAndAdvance

By Bob Garver Without a lot of new mainstream releases stepping up to the plate this past weekend, there was room for a surprise hit. Enter “Pathaan,” an action movie from India that racked up nearly $6 million at the domestic box office despite playing on fewer than 700 screens. My guess is that many theater owners are going to look at the film’s over-$8,000-per-screen average and decide that they want a piece of that action. So even if “Pathaan” isn’t playing in your market already, it may be coming soon. Shah Rukh Khan stars as Pathaan, one of the greatest secret agents in all of India. He has recently resurfaced after being missing for two years. The first half of the film is largely devoted to what happened before he went missing, and frankly the flashback goes on so long that it’s easy to forget that it’s even a flashback. Two years ago, Pathaan was on a mission to stop a terrorist named Jim (John Abraham), himself given flashbacks to explain his motivation. While on the mission, Pathaan met up with Rubai (Deepika Padukone), an agent from a rival agency that also saw the threat that Jim presented. A few flip-flops later, and Pathaan found himself in a Russian prison and disavowed by India. Fortunately, he had a brother named Tiger (Salman Khan) from another arm of the apparently-very-popular YRF Spy Universe to help bust him out and disappear for two years. Now Rubai has been conspicuously seen on a security camera in Paris. If she’s back, then so is Pathaan. The joint resurfacing means that Jim’s three-year (yes, three-year) plan is close to fruition, and the whole world is in danger, especially India. Fortunately, they’ve got an agent the caliber of Pathaan on the case, but is he back at full capacity? A shootout, chase, and daring helicopter escape in the hideout of a weapons dealer indicates that yes, he is. The story of “Pathaan” is nothing special, the sort of thing you’d see in a typical James Bond or “Mission: Impossible” movie (critics have pointed out that the virus-heavy plot strongly resembles the second film in the latter franchise). But the headline here isn’t the just-okay spy movie that the movie is on paper, it’s the blockbuster you’ll get if you see the movie in theaters. So much of this movie is a feast for the eyes and ears. For the eyes, you’ve got the aforementioned hideout sequence, an abduction sequence involving trucks and helicopters, a heist sequence with a precarious helicopter-assisted landing, an ill-fated train transfer, and plenty of other inventive goodies. And that’s nothing compared to what your ears will get. This movie loves its gunshots and explosions, and the music is exciting and catchy. When I say “the music,” I don’t just mean the score (though the score is most definitely included), I’m talking about two intoxicating musical numbers, one right in the middle of the film. Let’s see Tom Cruise try that. He might, he was in “Rock of Ages,” but I seriously doubt that even he’s fearless enough to interrupt an action movie like that. As for the one at the end, when was the last time you saw James Bond save the world then sing his own theme song to celebrate? “Pathaan” is sure to lead to an increased presence of Indian action movies on the global stage, especially from this YRF Spy Universe. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them, as apparently they’re hard at work thinking up ways to top the craziness of this movie. The scripts could stand to be tighter, but otherwise they should keep up the good work. Don’t be thrown by the subtitles and cultural differences, the action and beauty of “Pathaan” make for a party in any language. Grade: B “Pathaan” is not rated by the MPAA, but it would be approximately a PG-13 (bordering on R at times) for violence. Its running time is 146 minutes.

The Art Competition will be held on April 13, 2023. If your school is interested in participating in the 2023 Art Competition, please submit the name of the school, phone number and e-mail address of the contact person. Submissions must be emailed to: Ashley.Beale@mail.house.gov For more information call: (662)335-9003

REMINDER!!

The Bolton Library will celebrate Black History Month by hosting a "Black History Story Time" Our theme is "The Power of a Dream." We are inviting the community to celebrate with us. For more information, call 601- 866-4247 or stop by the Annie T. Jeffers Library, 111 W. Madison Street, Bolton MS. website: www.JHLibrary.org. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library is closed on Fridays and Sundays.

Volunteer Mississippi, The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, invites nominations for the Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Awards. This award is the highest honor Volunteer Mississippi gives to volunteers. The GIVE Awards celebrate the exemplary service of Mississippi's most dedicated citizens. This award program presented by Volunteer Mississippi, in partnership with the Governor’s Office, recognizes and honors the valuable contributions of some of Mississippi's extraordinary citizens while inspiring others to follow their example. “As First Lady and Honorary Chair for the Commission for Volunteer Service, I look forward to partnering with Volunteer Mississippi to honor these outstanding Mississippi volunteers,” said First Lady Elee Reeves. “Mississippi is comprised of selfless individuals who are committed to bettering our communities and lending a helping hand to our neighbors in need.” Members of the public can nominate a volunteer by visiting volunteermississippi.org/GIVE. Nominations will be accepted until Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. “There are countless Mississippi volunteers who are worthy of these special GIVE Awards,” said Monica Ritchie, executive director at Volunteer Mississippi. “I encourage organizations, families, friends, students, educators, veterans, and colleagues to nominate any person with a passion for volunteerism who is making a difference in their community.” The story of volunteerism in Mississippi is about service as a way of life. It’s about leadership in our schools, workplaces, and communities. It’s about results. Statewide volunteers and national service members are getting things done and making a difference for our children, our seniors, our veterans, and military families. More information about Volunteer Mississippi and all its programs can be found at volunteermississippi.org. In partnership with the Governor's Office, GIVE Awards will be presented at a special luncheon ceremony to be held Tuesday, April 18, 2023, kicking off celebrations for National Volunteer Week. To nominate a volunteer, visit volunteermississippi.org/GIVE. Find all Volunteer Mississippi news releases at volunteermississippi.org/news.

Yesterday, January 25, marked the 100th Day of School! Here are a few pictures of a few “100” year-old students.

Bryce Owens of Bolton recently served as a page for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Pages generally run errands for officials and House staff. Owens, 17, is the son of Dina and Daryl Owens, and he is a senior at Raymond High School. He was sponsored for the week by Representative Stephanie Foster (D – Raymond). When asked about the week, Owens said, “I enjoyed my time as a page. I got to meet new friends and lots of people. Thank you, Representative Foster, for this great opportunity.”