Smoke Signals and other news

I have spent a great deal of time this week registering players for Byhalia’s for the upcoming baseball, softball, and tee-ball season, soliciting sponsors, coaches, and umpires. If you are interested in registering your child, you can do so online at Byhalia- Ms.com or stop by Byhalia Town Hall on weekdays. If you wish to sponsor a team, umpire, or coach, please email Byhaliaparksandrec@townofB yhalia.com. After being happily retired from “going into the office” for nine years, my body is having to re-adjust to this. I do it for one reason only–it’s for the kids. I ask all parents to consider signing up their children. You can’t know if they love it if you don’t let them try it. Yes, it takes some time, but isn’t investing in your child worth it? We had three playing at one time and often in three different places, with two others involved in activities of their choice. They were either in softball, baseball, cheerleading, karate, track, piano, or band, with often overlapping seasons. Our days and nights were full, but they will tell you it was a great part of their childhood.

Potts Camp is also taking applications for the spring/summer season. They have a great program. I do not have any firm information about Holly Springs, but I hope to get an answer this week.

Be thankful for the rain, although there seems to be an abundance of it. I’m sure during the days of late summer, we will all be saying, “Sure could use some rain.”

Saturday, Feb. 10, a “Chocolate Walk” was hosted by the Byhalia Area Chamber Main Street. Shoppers who braved the rain to shop at participating vendors in downtown Byhalia found some great deals and were able to enter a contest for a basket full of goodies given away by the Chamber. Several merchants added their giveaways. Chocolate was available for snacking at all the participating merchants.

From the pages of history from the year 1969, pictured are three gentlemen I graduated from high school with, as well as dear friends Donald Crain, Mack Burrow, and Jerry Nichols. They were members and officers of the Byhalia Future Farmers of America. They are shown here with their show cows from that

year. They set out to win the district and go on to the Dixie Nationals in Jackson, which they did. Donald and Mack have passed away. Jerry is still a very active member of the Byhalia community.

Due to a logistics issue, the Byhalia Mayoral election has been postponed until March 19. See the news article on page 1 for further details. Because of this, the “Meet the Candidates” event has been postponed until March 7 at the Old High School Auditorium at 5:30 p.m.

Here is a bit of medical information I recently learned. I have for years fought a battle with severe itching all over my body, inside and out. I found one thing in many topical products that caused a reaction and have learned to avoid it by reading labels. Even the topical anti-itch meds the doctors had me using contained it. During a recent visit with one of my most trusted doctors, I asked him about histamine intolerance since some of my research indicated this to be a possible cause of some of the itching. After several questions, he immediately searched his database for latex allergy foods. These foods seem to contain the same proteins as those found in latex. Many of the foods I was eating frequently were in this category: bananas, strawberries, and tomatoes. Eliminating these foods has diminished the itching significantly. There are others in this category that I rarely ate- kiwi, chestnuts, passionfruit, plums, and avocado-so I didn’t register them as red flags for me. While meeting a friend for lunch, she ordered an avocado dip as an appetizer for both of us. I ate my share and enjoyed it. When I got home, the itching sent me scrambling for a Benadryl. After two more Benadryl over the next few hours, the itching subsided but is still slightly present a day later, along with a slight issue with throat tightness. Avocado is definitely not something I will eat in the future. I share this in hopes of helping at least one person. Listen to your body and take corrective action. I do not yet know if I have a latex allergy, but I do know these foods are not safe for me. By the way, I have a high tolerance for Benadryl, so I know my limit. I am not offering medical advice, but I am sharing my experience and encouraging you to find and talk to a trusted physician with your concerns.

Please share your news with me at jchwagg@gmail.com or by text or call 901 246-8843. Please do not message me on Facebook.