The Times from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 1

I fl II. I.IMI I III II "i flni umm fflnMiUnifciii(iFiiitiiiiiiii'i'iiii nil iitiiiiinnnTtiiiif-i fe-TiiiffiiaifTiimriBjttiiiifiliiiiiii--j- ifrtMffiiirhn iiiiM JL1 LLJ1 South Mississ riNiNG Newspaper Will ft I -Vj'J I Back to school Breazeale seeks 'office of governor 0 zi-- ft And Breazeale said if he runs, he will lay the foundation of his campaign on being a governor for all the people. "I have been elected Sheriff as a Democrat and a Republican. But if I run 4 Breazeale i 5 V. Lamar County-sheriff serving his last term By ASHLEY EDWARDS Writer for THE TIMES Lamar County Sheriff Marvin Breazeale has his sights set on a higher office governor.

And it's his love for South Mississippi that is driving his desire to seek the highest office in the state. "I grew up here and I've lived here all my life. Over time I have gotten to know so many people and I've made lots of friends here. This area has been very good to me," Breazeale said. Breazeale, 63, who is serving his last term as sheriff, makes no secret about his desire for the state's top office.

"I really like working for the people, and I think the office of governor is the best place to really help the people of Mississippi. I know a lot of people from across the state and a lot of friends have encouraged me to run. It would be a great honor just to run for the office. I am really taking a hard look at running," Breazeale said. I) V'' for governor it will be as an independent.

I want to be able to get everybody's vote and serve everybody. I think a governor should represent all the people, not just one group. That is how I've been in Lamar County. I serve all the people. That is one thing I have always done and always intend to do," Breazeale said.

Breazeale, of Purvis, is no rookie to politics. He began his career in law enforcement after being elected Lamar County sheriff in 1975. He was re-elected a second term. President Ronald Reagan appointed Breazeale a United States Marshal during that second term. He served as a U.S.

Marshal under presidents Reagan and Bush but was released when President Clinton took office. Breazeale then decided to ruir again for Sheriff of Lamar County. See Breazeale, Page 2A i PHOTO BY DAVID MASSING Students at Oak Grove High School returned to classes and books this week as the Christmas and New Year break came to an end. The start of the spring semester came a week too late for students to extend their vacation with a snow day. Forrest, Lamar counties escape state's property reappraisal order Doom, gloom bypass economy in Hattiesburg 3 in The Mississippi House approved the bill unanimously with a vote of 122-0.

Palmer said this increase is one of the main factors keeping tax bills down. But some state residents and business have fared much worse under the reappraisals. In Harrison County, there was a Class 2 property tax Patterson increase of 81 percent The 2002 state-mandated deadline for reassessment of property taxes has arrived and counties across Mississippi are rushing to get their tax adjustments completed by year's end. And for many state residents, this could mean a hefty increase in tax bills. However, there is good news for Forrest and Lamar County residents.

There are no big changes in taxes on the way." Mary Ann Palmer, Forrest County Tax Assessor, said the county completed its reappraisals in 1997 and will not be affected by the deadline. Palmer said her office updates appraisals and performs adjustments each year, and therefore, there will be no drastic change this year. Lamar County's taxes were also reappraised early. Jim Patterson, Lamar County Tax Assessor said there will be no big changes in tax bills. "We did ours in 1999 and we have updated them every year.

So the deadline won't really affect us," Patterson said. Both Palmer and Patterson said most area resident's bills will actually be lower than last year's. During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill increasing the homestead property tax exemption from $60,000 to $75,000. because the county has a system in place in which property is appraised and updated each year. Palmer said the reappraisal process is tedious.

"We did a full-mass appraisal in 1997. It took about 10 months and we had to hire an outside contractor because we didn't have the man power to take on the task," Palmer said, "But with our updates each year, we probably won't have to do anything on that scale for a while, if ever," Palmer said. Forrest County is responsible for taxing 35,000 separate parcels of land. Palmer said during a reappraisal or update, tax officials visit each piece of property in the county to see if any changes have been made. The property is also given sales comparisons to see if values are too low or too high.

Information from the entire process is kept on property record cards in the County Tax Office. But Palmer said all the work is needed. "It is important to update the tax records as often as possible. "We don't want to have a huge increase in taxes on a certain piece of property because it hasn't been reappraised recently enough. "As long as we keep the updates going, deadlines like this won't really affect our taxes," Palmer said.

Saffle said. Turtle Creek mall traffic sensors counted 754,527 cars coming into the mall parking lot during the last two months of 2001. That number was up from 740,037 in November and December 2000. "Everyone has heard the national press talk about doom and gloom," Saffle said, "But the Hattiesburg economy seems to be the opposite. Hattiesburg just hasn't seen the problems you see in the rest of the country." Saffle said she attributes the area's economy to a strong retail base and major employers like Forrest General Hospital, The University of Southern Mississippi and Camp Shelby, which are not greatly affected by national trends.

The only thing that was turbulent in South Mississippi during the end of 2001 was the weather. "The warm weather didn't really help, but we saw business pick up when the weather got cooler. The cooler weather tends to put people See Economy, Page 2A The end of 2001 was a turbulent time for the nation. First, there were the terrorist attacks of Sep 11. In the months to come, Americans watched as network newscasts reported massive layoffs, drops in consumer confidence, stock market troubles and an overall bad economy.

There were reports of airlines going under, bankrupt corporations and retail sales at the lowest levels in a decade. 5 But the country's economic gloom did not spread to the Pine Belt I Many area retailers saw record sales figures during the end of the year and they say the trend seems to be continuing in 2002. Andrea Saffle, director of Marketing for Turtle Creek Mall said the mall retailers fared well during the holiday shopping season. Things were definitely alive around here. Traffic was up approximately 5 percent and sales were up.

I think everyone is very pleased with this year's numbers," Many rates in other counties also saw a considerable increase. One of the hardest-hit groups in the state is retirees. Many retirees are being forced to pay property taxes for the first time in years. The reappraisal deadline came about because of a 1997 update to a 1980s law, which sought to reform the property tax system. All Mississippi counties were given a deadline of 2002 for mass reappraisals for all property.

But some counties have been hit harder than others because their tax manuals and rates have not been revised for years. Palmer said Forrest County residents will probably never endure such drastic tax hikes IS Worn' lUU Oak Grove began with a $20 deal Saturday 5632 Partly Cloudy Weekend Forecast Page 2A And many would be surprised to hear how this thriving community developed from one farm, purchased for only $20. In the mid 1800s there was only one building in Oak Grove. Nestled among the thick, long-leaf pines lived an old pioneer settler who homesteaded 40 acres of land and lived in a two-room house made of split logs. The settler, whose name is unknown, made his living by cultivating the soil and trapping the wildlife that roamed the woods.

In 1877, the place was bought by Elijah Ladner for $20. As Ladner" family grew and settlers heard of the rich Lamar County soil, the community of Oak Grove began to take shape. By 1897, there ere er -gh settlers to begin a school. The school year lasted four months and the community hired a teacher at a salary of $25 per month. By ASHLEY EDWARDS Writer for THE TIMES With tremendous growth over the past decade, Oak Grove has seated itself atop the list of Mississippi's premiere communities.

Visitors to the Hattiesburg area are quickly charmed by Oak Grove's trendy shops, stylish homes and friendly atmosphere. Never incorporated as a town, Oak Grove has become a retreat of sorts a place where residents can take in the rural life while having all the advantages of a thriving city right at their fingertips. Oak Grove also boasts one of Mississippi's top school systems and the newly built high school is considered one of the finest in the state. It is easy to get caught up in all the new and modern things Oak Grove has to offer. But underneath, there is a rich and storied history in Oak Grove.

She taught 15 students. In 1904, all the pine timber in Oak Grove was cut, leaving nothing but a scattering of towering oak trees, thus the -name Oak Grove. Oak Grove continued to grow and by the 1930s the residents decided to promote their proud community. A flyer was sent out across the state to attract new settlers to the Oak Grove area. It readThe Oak Grove community is a progressive, agricultural section located in the north east section of Lamar County, eight miles south of Hattiesburg and 12 miles north of Purvis-the county seat of Lamar County.

This community is located on the Highway. The land here is second to none in Mississippi, has a good clay sub-soil, rolling and well drained, and the land is so situated mat practically every acre of SeeOak Grove, Page 2A i- Editorial Lifetimes Sports 6B Obituaries. SMJ Classifieds SMJ PHOTO BY DAVID MASSING Oak Grove is a bedroom community south of Hattiesburg that is known best for its school..