What’s Going on in Biloxi this Weekend?

Whet Your Cruisin’ Appetite at Ohr-O’Keefe
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, capitalizing on the interest in the upcoming Cruisin’ the Coast, will host a free reception this evening for a new exhibition titled “Cars in Art.”

The reception, from 5 to 7 p.m., also will be the unveiling of the exhibit “Bruce Davenport Jr: I See You Looking,” a display of hand-colored drawings — marching bands, Mardi Gras and more — by a self-taught New Orleans artist.

“Cars in Art,” meantime, will feature artists Carole Marie of Ocean Springs; Bobbie Crews of Knoxville, Tenn.; and New Orleans artists Lory Lockwood and Tony Watts. Also on display will be prints of original design drawings provided by General Motors Design Archive & Special Collections in Warren, Mich. Additionally, visitors to the exhibition and reception can view Bay St. Louis resident J. Michael Hemsley’s collection of 62 model cars.

Firefighters Parade Through Downtown Saturday Morning
You’ll see dozens of flashy red fire trucks with wailing sirens in downtown Biloxi Saturday morning for this year’s Fireman’s Day Parade.

Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney said fire departments from across south Mississippi are expected to be represented in the 10 a.m. parade, which begins on Lameuse Street near the Biloxi Town Green, travels northward to MLK Boulevard, to Howard Avenue and ends at the Biloxi Fire Museum, on Howard Avenue a block east of Porter Avenue.

After the parade, a reception will be held at the fire museum, where free tours also will be available.

Weekend Preview: Get Your Kicks at Hiller Park
Among the diversions this weekend are the city’s kickball tournament at Hiller Park, Babypalooza at the Coast Coliseum, an American Cancer Society fete honoring Robin Roberts at the Biloxi Civic Center, “The Wedding Singer” at Biloxi Little Theater, Jeff Dunham at IP, the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum’s $10,000 drawdown, Scotty McCreery at the Beau Rivage, a parish bazaar at Our Mother of Sorrows, and Montgomery Gentry at the Hard Rock.

Stadium Cam: See the Picture from MGM Park at Beau Rivage
A stadium cam is now in place to give you a real-time photo and archive of images from the construction site at MGM Park at Beau Rivage, the downtown baseball stadium and entertainment venue.

The interactive cameras – two of them, actually, that update images every 15 minutes – offer viewers the chance to select a date and time for a particular day of construction, and offer a panoramic view of the site, which is at the corner of U.S. 90 and Caillavet Street. Images can be saved and shared via Facebook, Twitter, or email.

The cameras were installed by Beau Rivage.

Court Affirms City Council’s Decision in Waffle House Case
A court has ruled that the Biloxi City Council acted within its authority in rejecting a zoning change to allow a Waffle House to be built at Myrtle Street on Point Cadet, midway between the Palace and Golden Nugget casinos.

Circuit Court Judge Michael H. Ward also dismissed the notion that Councilman George Lawrence, who opposed the development, should have abstained from the issue since he owns property across the street from the site.

Waffle Inc. and property owner Aureus Investment Group sued the city after the City Council voted 5-2 to deny a zoning change. The suit claimed the City Council was arbitrary in its decision and that there was a public need for another Waffle House in Biloxi. The Golden Nugget and Palace casinos and nearby St. Michael’s Catholic Church also opposed the rezoning.

The court, in its filing last week, ruled the character of the neighborhood had not changed since September 2010, when the land was zoned residential as part of an overhaul of the city’s Land Development Ordinance.

“Overall, there is substantial evidence in the record to support the City Council’s decision, that there has been no change in the character of the neighborhood,” the judge wrote. “The City Council heard testimony and considered substantial evidence” in making its decision.

The city’s Land Development Ordinance, the judge added, has no stipulation disqualifying Lawrence from voting on the issue.

Plans Reviewed for Hospital Project, Five New Homes
By Jerry Creel, Community Development Director

This week in economic development, the building plan reviews were completed for the $1.3 million dollar expansion and improvements to the Biloxi Regional Hospital’s Outpatient Facility. Plan reviews were also completed for five new single family houses to be constructed in the new Rock Creek Subdivision on Lorraine Road. The developers are scheduled to pick up the building permits later today.

Also this week we submitted our annual application for re-certification to the Insurance Services Organization (I.S.O.) This re-certification is a required element of our continued participation in the Community Rating System (C.R.S.) Program. This program rewards our efforts to reduce the risk of flood damage by providing premium discounts to property owners who have flood insurance policies. The City of Biloxi is one of only three cities in the State of Mississippi that currently have a rating of “5. This rating provides policy holders with a 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums.