OK, you’ve heard the talk of slow-moving, wall-to-wall traffic this weekend, especially on U.S. 90, but there’s another way of looking at it, says Bruce Lacey.
“I’ve heard the talk about traffic, especially in the media,” says Lacey, managing partner of the downtown eatery Sal & Mookie’s, “but the fact is, it’s going to be a great weekend. Look at downtown Biloxi. You take I-110 right into downtown or U.S. 90 from Ocean Springs and you’re here for the big Main Street Game-Day Experience all day Saturday and you have two days of baseball, even going into Monday.”
Adds Lacey, whose Sal & Mookie’s celebrates its first anniversary this weekend: “I hear about the traffic, but that’s primarily in west Biloxi, and traffic is not a bad thing. To the locals, I say, ‘Get out there and enjoy the weekend, especially if you headed to downtown Biloxi.'”
See the weekend lineup
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Game-Day Experience: It’s all downtown
Main Street Biloxi, as a precursor to tonight’s Shuckers game, offers a Taste of Downtown this evening from 4 to 7 in the plaza area immediately north of MGM Park. Visitors will find an eclectic menu of food items from Downtown Biloxi restaurants.
And the big event, the Game-Day Experience, is Saturday, formally marking the opening of the Shuckers season. The Game Day Experience in the Vieux Marche area between Reynoir and Lameuse streets on Howard Avenue will feature Shuckers players, coaches and owners, who will be introduced to the crowd and interact with fans.
Special baseball-themed events such as batting cages for boys and girls will also be offered, along with outstanding food and cold beverages.
The team will be introduced beginning at 11 a.m., and mingle with the fans until 1 p.m., at which time the crowd will escort the Shuckers to MGM Park. Fans will return to the Game Day Experience until game time for live music and special giveaways all afternoon, including game tickets and team merchandise.
Learn more about the Game-Day Experience
Now, a word about that traffic
With the Coast’s 14,800 hotel rooms expected to be at capacity this weekend, sunny skies in the forecast, a spring break event in town, and Shuckers games Friday through Monday, city leaders are expecting heavy and slow moving traffic, especially on U.S. 90.
“Traffic will be slow-moving on Highway 90 this weekend,” Police Chief John Miller said. “If it begins to back up to nearing the point of gridlock at any place, we’re going to take over control of an intersection to keep it moving.
“If we still see that it’s moving too slowly, we’ll shut down all turning bays from DeBuys Road to White Avenue to spread the traffic out, and if needed we’ll close off side streets.”
As the final resort, Miller said, police would employ a “venting” of U.S. 90 where motorists would be directed to either I-110 in downtown Biloxi or Cowan Road in Gulfport and I-10.
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Attention, summer campers: It’s time to sign up
Biloxi residents of the Woolmarket and north Woolmarket communities, you can sign up for the city’s popular summer camp program on Saturday, and those of you who live in the rest of Biloxi, you can sign up next weekend.
The registration on Saturday takes place from 9 a.m. to noon at Woolmarket Elementary School Gym, 12513 John Lee Road.
News and notes
Podcasting: To hear the latest on the City of Biloxi issues du jour, courtesy of the weekly City Desk podcast, click here.
Traffic updates: The city will continue to provide as-needed traffic updates through its Facebook and Twitter platforms throughout the weekend. Those interested in signing up for Bmail, liking the city’s Facebook page or following Biloxi on Twitter, click here.
MDOT traffic cameras: To see a link to MDOT real-time traffic cameras in south Mississippi and to see the status of roadwork in Biloxi right now, click here.
Lighthouse cam: To see the view from inside the Biloxi Lighthouse right now, click here.
And don’t forget the Stork: The Local History and Genealogy Department of the Biloxi Public Library will host “When the Stork Drops In,” a program to assist individuals tracing child descendants, at 11 a.m. at the Biloxi Public Library, 580 Howard Ave. To learn more about the program, click here.
