text: July | 2013 | Phil Hardwick - From the Ground Up
  Over the past few years I wrote 10 short novels set in Mississippi in Mississippi towns. Here are 10 things I learned about Mississippi while writing the series:
  1. there are white squirrels in Columbia that were imported by a former mayor;
  2. acetaminophen can be used as a poison;
  3. during World War II the Town of Flora tripled in size because of a gunpowder plant;
  4. there are haunted houses in many towns;
  5. there is a library in a former jailhouse in Macon;
  6. there is a cemetery monument of an angel crying over the loss of a local citizen in Columbus;
  7. when the Mississippi State (new) Capitol was dedicated there was a contingent of Confederate war veterans in the parade;
  8. the Church of God in Christ was begun in Lexington;
  9. that Holiday Inn University was located in Olive Branch; and
  10. the Dizzy Dean Baseball World Series is held in Southaven.
  Tagged acetaminophen as weapon in murder mystery, books set in Mississippi, Canton MS, cemetery monuments, Dizzy Dean Baseball World Series, Flora MS, Holiday Inn University, Macon MS, mississippi mysteries series, phil hardwick, Southaven MS
  The Disconnect Between Economic Developers and Community Developers
  In some communities it seems that economic developers and community developers are as different as night and day. That is no wonder given the roles that each are expected to play. But in some communities and at the state level these roles are becoming more blended as communities recognize the advantages of these groups working together.
  Generally, economic developers, because of their emphasis on jobs and economy, tend to be around business leaders and organizations that are concerned with private sector employment. Community developers, because of their emphasis on serving the needs of low and moderate income persons, tend to be around social service providers and others with similar concerns. In many cases, the political philosophies of the two are far apart. And in many cases, the two groups are not in constant contact with each other about their communities' future. As some would say, they are just cut from a different cloth. That is not the case at the state level.
  The Mississippi Development Authority, formerly known as the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development, has for many years placed both functions under the same umbrella. It is responsible not only for economic development, but community development as well. The result is a more cohesive and coordinated approach.
  Local leaders may benefit by examining whether there is a disconnect between economic development and community development in their communities, and then finding the right combination for them. There is not a perfect model, but when the two entities do not work together the outcome is less than desirable.
  Tagged create effective slogans, effective slogans, Marketing Alliance, Rich Winter, slogan pitfalls
  Avoid this common mistake in your email marketing strategy.
  I just received an email from a local marketing company on whose mailing list I subscribed to. The company has a creative CEO and is gaining business in the community. The email messages always seem to have something useful. They are also well-designed, obviously using an HTML template of some kind.
  Unfortunately, there is a big problem in the message part of the email. The problem is that when I click on the "Go to our website" phrase my browser opens to an error page that tells me that there is no such server as "your website address here."
  Now the real message that I am getting from the company is something like, "We have creative ideas, but we aren't really good with the details."
  To avoid this problem with your email marketing strategy, send the first email to yourself, and go through it as if you were the intended recipient. Click on all the links and read the message out loud. If after do those two things you are happy with it, then blast away to your list.