Vision Neshoba kicks off with much excitement

Neshoba County residents highlighted the strengths of the community, such as family and churches, and the hope of tourism and entertainment opportunities during a Vision Neshoba kickoff session last week.

The Vision Neshoba team, led by Orion Planning & Design, hosted a Community Input Guidance Gathering to discuss the future of the community last Thursday and held at The First Baptist Church Christian Life Center.

Blake Gordon, owner of Blake’s Seafood, celebrated Philadelphia’s uniqueness, saying he envisions a thriving economy while maintaining the town’s unique character. 

“We get a lot of tourism and one thing I hear more than anything is that Philadelphia is not a cookie-cutter town. That’s why people like coming here,” Gordon said. 

“We are located in a great position, and everybody thinks we are unique. One of the things that saved Philadelphia is travelers not bypassing our town.”

Residents also aspired to see better jobs, new businesses, better education, and more dining options on the Square. 

Their vision includes promoting the arts, retaining college graduates, increasing community involvement, and more.

Philadelphia’s Lee Smith, 30, expressed concern about the departure of young people, saying, “Our educated young people leave not just their hometown, but the state as well and that’s a problem. 

“We have to get to a point where our college-educated people stay here, have a job to come back to here, and have a school they can depend on to educate their children the way they should be,” Smith said.

Most respondents in a Vision Neshoba survey said they felt that the community was improving in various ways and ranked priorities for community development, with industrial and tourism development at the top. 

OPD revealed that the average age for community residents is 35 years old. They also showed the county has a remarkable population of youth aged 17 and younger.

David Alexander, owner of MilDawg Strength and Conditioning, expressed excitement about the future, particularly the potential of the younger population, saying, “There is so much going on and so many opportunities. 

“It’s exciting that the highest percentage of our population is 0 to 17-year-olds, so we got to figure out a way to start tapping into those young people and convince them to go to technical and educational sources to get educated and stay in Philadelphia for employment. It’s an exciting time.”

Others had thoughts on youth employment opportunities.

“There is a compassion and heartfelt plea for youth employment opportunities,” said Dr. Julia Riley from Neshoba General. “There is a lack of constructive things for our children to do like summer jobs that we grew up having.”

Riley also suggested shadowing opportunities for teenagers with local businesses.

Her husband, District 5 Supervisor Obbie Riley, said, “We need to continue to grow, but also strive in ways that everybody’s quality of life is lifted. We are perfectly located, have beautiful weather, clean air, and a lot of resources. 

“One of the resources that we are losing on is our youth. We have got to figure out a way to get them interested in things that will make Neshoba County better,” he said.

The Orion Planning & Design (OPD) team brought in by the Community Development Partnership (CDP) consists of Bob Barber, Bert Kuyrkendall, Allison Mouch, Oliver Seabolt, Carol Rhea, Kelly Martin, and Johanna Tuthill, and partners include Tripp Muldrow, Randy Wilson, and James Shelby.

Barber, who led the gathering, emphasized, "The confluence of events in the Neshoba Community offers very unique opportunities, and we’ve been impressed with the level of potential you have at your doorstep."

The generational Vision Neshoba master plan aims to be a long-term vision, encompassing both implemented changes and short-term recommendations to profoundly impact community growth. This plan follows steps like Discovery, Direction, Design, Implementation, and Follow Up.

"We are here to look, listen, and learn," Barber said. "We will begin by gathering direction from our discovery inputs, then we'll collaborate with the community to formulate the plan. Afterward, we'll guide the implementation and see how it's monitored and followed over time."

This process will involve a thorough understanding and planning for the Neshoba community. OPD will identify the best areas in the community and address those that need attention, including streets, connections like trails, and a holistic mobility system. 

Core members of the local Vision Neshoba team include co-chairs Elizabeth Frohse and Annette Watkins with Jackie Hester, Steve Wilkerson, Carly Byars Rounsaville, Mattie Hudson, Kelly McQuaig, Tim Moore, David Vowell, and Searra Wilson.

For more information, visit visionneshoba.com.