Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway took part in the first public ceremony since undergoing surgery 20 days ago, presenting a proclamation at the dedication of the Walter “Skeet” Hunt Gulf Coast Carnival Association Den in east Biloxi.
“I’m happy to see so many of you here this morning, and I’m REALLY happy to be here,” Holloway told to the applauding audience of Gulf Coast Carnival Association members and guests.
The mayor had surgery on Jan. 31 to repair a perforated colon, and has begun working from home since being released from Biloxi Regional Medical Center on Feb. 11. He dropped by City Hall this morning to visit staff before attending the ceremony at the carinival den, which was named in honor of a longtime carnival supporter, the late Walter “Skeet” Hunt.
“It makes it so special for you and Macklyn to be here,” said Susan Hunt, a longtime Holloway family friend and daughter of Skeet Hunt, choking back tears as she spoke.
Before reading a proclamation declaring today “Hunt Family Day,” Holloway told audience members about fishing trips to the Chandeleur Islands with Bartlo Hunt, who was Skeet’s brouther and one of the many Hunt family members involved in Mardi Gras.
“Bartlo used to do the cooking on the boat,” Holloway said. “So when you’d wake up in the morning and walk into the galley, there he was in his drawers at the stove. He looked at me and asked, ‘How do you want your eggs?’ And I said, ‘Make mine hard-boiled.'”
More online
To see four photos from this morning’s ceremony, click here.
To read about the Hunt family’s participation in Mardi Gras, as contained in a resolution passed by the City Council, click here.
Children’s walking parade rolls Saturday through downtown
Children ages 12 and younger wil be parading through downtown Biloxi this weekend for the annual Children’s Mardi Gras Walking Parade, which takes place Saturday at 1 p.m.
This non-motorized parade — bikes, skates, skateboards, scooters and wagons — is sponsored by the City of Biloxi, the Mardi Gras Museum, and Gulf Coast Carnival Association.
Children will be creative and dress in costumes and decorate their bikes or wagons. The theme for this year’s parade will be “Islands around the World.”
It’s not too late to register, either. For details, click here.
Parade lineup: To see the lineup of parades between today and Fat Tuesday, a dozen parades in all, click here.
News and notes
Mayorvision: Mayor A.J. Holloway is one of several Coast mayors featured in a new consumer confidence campaign airing locally on Cable One cable channels. Cable One launched the campaign to tour the strong points of the local economy, To see the spot that includes Holloway, filmed several weeks ago, click here.
Weekend entertainment: To see the overall weekend entertainment lineup, courtesy of listings from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau,
click here.
Election news: March 6 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for would-be candidates to file their qualifying fee and statement of intent (or petition, if qualifying as an independent). In the Voter Info section of the city web site you’ll find the current lineup of candidates who have filed, as well as the online version of the 2009 Voter Guide, which was unveiled today and will be mailed citywide in the next couple of weeks. To go to the Voter Info area of the web site, click here.
