Petal could be the new Oak Grove

[noway]

http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=4508361

What about Hattiesburg?

[Conveyor Belt]

My wife and I bought a new construction home in petal 2 weeks before Katrina. We'd been looking at houses, in Petal, for months before we found the "perfect" home for us.

We used Realtor.com to shop homes, then scheduled the ones we wanted to visit with the Realtor if they were completed, or just went ourselves if the locks weren't on the doors yet. We were very surprised at the range of workmanship and prices. I can't believe what some people were asking for the shotty work done in the home. We visited homes in all stages if possible, so we could see what was done in the framework, drywall, cabinets, floors, bathrooms, etc. One home in the Keystone Cove sub was "finished" and had HUGE flaws in the drywall... I would have been embarrassed if it were my work.

We met some characters as realtors, and saw some homes that were atrocious in our opinion. Again, I cannot believe the prices some of these homes were asking for. In the end, we came across a home that was PERFECT for us and it's starting to feel like home.

[Biggie]

Since 2003, new home sales in Petal increased 230 percent, while the demand for new homes in Oak Grove rose 55 percent.

Is that 230 percent increase in trailers?

[noway]

Since 2003, new home sales in Petal increased 230 percent, while the demand for new homes in Oak Grove rose 55 percent.

Is that 230 percent increase in trailers?

LMAO!!! Biggie you da man!!!!! :smt038 :smt038 :smt038

[Conveyor Belt]

Since 2003, new home sales in Petal increased 230 percent, while the demand for new homes in Oak Grove rose 55 percent.

Is that 230 percent increase in trailers?

All of the trailers are sold on the north side of Hattiesburg. Wouldn't those trailer sales be attributed to Hattiesburg, not Petal?

[Tully Mars]

Since 2003, new home sales in Petal increased 230 percent, while the demand for new homes in Oak Grove rose 55 percent.

Is that 230 percent increase in trailers?

I would venture to say that you would find fewer trailers in Petal than in Oak Grove.

[Biggie]

I guess I was thinking about that big Petal subdivision Trailerwood.

[lamarrebel]

I think it is good that the Petal area is growing...it takes a little pressue off of the schools and infrastructure out here. It's also good to see more affluent subdivisions going that way as well...I've heard numerous ppl call Oak Grove "Hattiesburg's Madison" and Petal "Hattiesburg's Pearl". Perhaps over time that stereotype can subside.

[jmack]

The reason Petal is growing is because its alot cheaper to buy a house in Petal than Oak Grove. Houses are too high out west and you can forget about lake front lots out in the Grove.

I like Petal but its so hard to get back an forth from over there. Perhaps the bypass will help when it is complete.

[lamarrebel]

I agree entirely....Petal's biggest downfall has been accessibility and road infrastructure, as well as outright lack of planning and foresight. Traffic is often a crawl down Highway 42 through the main portion of town, and obviously no one planned for the need to four lane it years ago. Obtaining right of ways to do it would be astronomical and impractical in costs. The Gandy parkway will be of great assistance in this. I am assumingl the Gandy parkway will fully accessible for commercial development as well, versus the interstate setup where frontage roads are used, which will ehlp bring more jobs and development for the area.

Also, in a way, I can say that I am not too surprised by this. I study election returns closely, and have noted that while the Democrats have obviously made huge gains in the voting balance within the City of Hattiesburg, there has been little overall shift in Forrest County overall. In the non-Hattiesburg areas of Forrest County, in general, and the Petal area, in particular, the vote trends heavily Republican. I believe George W. Bush actually won a slightly larger percentage of the vote in 2004 in Forrest County than he did in 2000 (Bush carried Mississippi overall by roughly the same percentage margins in both elections, though 2004 was marked by a larger turnout). Thus, not all of the Johnny DuPree refugees are moving to Lamar County...some are going to the Friendly City.

[AlphaMale]

The difference in Oak Grove and Petal is, they call it a tooth brush in Petal and a teeth brush in Oak Grove.
http://www.nt.net/~aas/tubebrush/magictoothbrush.jpg

[Conveyor Belt]

The difference in Oak Grove and Petal is, they call it a tooth brush in Petal and a teeth brush in Oak Grove.


Are you saying Petal residents have only one tooth, or Oak Grovers don't know grammar?

[AlphaMale]

ONE TOOTH....

[just-Wynn]

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/photos/pics_16/1658.jpg
http://www.randycross.com/redneck%20pics/redneck%20chopper.jpg

http://funnies.com/newjunefunnypics/Redneck_Dog.jpg
http://www.comingstobrazil.com/blog/archives/redneck.jpg


http://www.claringtonclassics.ca/Images/scrapbook/Redneck%20Wedding%20Reception.jpg
Just another day in Petal.

[nthemedia]

Not going to happen.

When the current crop of Jr High students hit HS, expect people to flee Petal in DROVES. Just like they did Hattiesburg.

My friend sends her kids there, not a week goes by that she isnt filing a sexual harrasement complaint (for her daughter) or her son gets beaten up.

If she could afford it she would move or send her kids to private school.

Petal = Hattiesburg not Oak Grove.

Oh, another thing they didnt say, the homes may be selling but they are selling for less than what they apparaised for 5-10 years ago.

[just-Wynn]

http://www.sidesmack.com/potherfunnybig/Redneck%20Cup%20Holder.jpg Petal prom Queen.

[just-Wynn]

http://poli.feld.cvut.cz/kecy/upload/obrazky/redneck.jpg Petal resident heading out for his "fishing trip" up @ Broke Back Mountain.

[Tommy9854]

I guess I was thinking about that big Petal subdivision Trailerwood.
Funny stuff........especially considering that the City of Petal does NOT allow trailers inside City Limits.

[Tommy9854]

Not going to happen.

When the current crop of Jr High students hit HS, expect people to flee Petal in DROVES. Just like they did Hattiesburg.

My friend sends her kids there, not a week goes by that she isnt filing a sexual harrasement complaint (for her daughter) or her son gets beaten up.

If she could afford it she would move or send her kids to private school.

Petal = Hattiesburg not Oak Grove.

Oh, another thing they didnt say, the homes may be selling but they are selling for less than what they apparaised for 5-10 years ago.
It's middle school. The kids are in that stage, the "tween" stage. When they hit HS hopefully they will grow up and mature. If they don't, it isn't the school's fault, it's the kid and parent's fault.

[Tommy9854]

Oh, and since everybody feels like doing the "bash on Petal by putting up dumb pictures"..............

Hattiesburg Transportation http://thissiterocks.com/pics/p484.jpg

The real reason why OG is "inflated"http://thissiterocks.com/pics/p488.jpg

[AlphaMale]

"Honey bunny I'm sure glad they cut out them holidays at Petal City Hall so we could git married"

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1854/275/320/Redneck%20Limousine.jpg

[Conveyor Belt]

Wow, Alpha... you sure have alot of family photos to share. Thanks for letting us get to know your family!

[lamarrebel]

Guys...can't we save the trash talk for football season??

[Conveyor Belt]

No, Because the Grovers won't play Petal anymore... When we were whipping up on them, we still made room in our schedule for them, but now that it's been reversed, they're too GOOD for that.

[AlphaMale]

Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa

[lamarrebel]

Even though my daughter attends Oak Grove and I'm a big fan, I've said nice things about Petal in this thread...I personally think they should play too...but come on...the stuff that I've seen above makes me think of jokes I'd tell about Mississippi State during Egg Bowl week

[talkizcheap]

Oh, and since everybody feels like doing the "bash on Petal by putting up dumb pictures"..............



Very, classy. Sheesh.. and you talk about maturity? Please.

[Tully Mars]

My only question is...why do you guys from Oak Grove seem to think that there is some sort of competition going on (other than football) between Oak Grove and Petal. Are you concerned that the potential that exists for Petal is somehow a threat to the "growth" that has occurred in Oak Grove?

I have been doing planning and community development work in this area and around the state for 15 years and it has always been my experience that within a region, positive developments in one part of the region at least indirectly provide positive benefits for the entire region.

What gives guys??? :smt102

[Conveyor Belt]

I donno, Tully... It's like the Israelis and the Palestinians. Catholics and Protestants. We're the same, yet brought up to hate each other. We want to be Hattiesburg's little oasis, and we're willing to slap each other around for the opportunity for attention. I could personally care less about OG, but it's bred in me to say something about it. Good Luck to them Grovers in their quest to become what Petal already is.

[Biggie]

Petal is a nice town but almost everyone I have met there is the same, they don't like brothers. Man its like when I cross that river its going back in time to the 60's. Come on Petal people, where is the love? I think Tully and Belt should step foward and declare the Civil War is over and call off the dogs. How about it... brothers?

[Conveyor Belt]

There are some racist people in Petal, but no less than in Oak Grove, or Hattiesburg, or anywhere for that matter.

I was at the Dr. yesterday in the waiting room watching this 79yo white lady carrying on a conversation with a 50 something black woman. I was wondering what they were really thinking of each other, or if they were okay with one another, and how different it would have been 60 years ago.

[Biggie]

It is strange how things come back around after you get old. Lets face it, most white people when the get old and go to a Nursing home, end up being taken care of by a black woman. I remember watching that TV show All in the Family and there was an episode where Archie Bunker had a dream that he died and went to heaven. They had a black man playing the role of God, and Archie said "OH MY GOD!!" and the black man said "YES". It was pretty funny, but you never know.

[jmb]

I had my first black teacher in 1967 when I was living in Cleveland, MS. I don't remember if we had any black students at the time or not. Being young, that wasn't something I thought about. I only had her for spelling, but she was one of my favorite teachers. The day I left school to move to Hattiesburg, she and I cried together. I would love to talk to her again just to let her know how much she meant to me but I have no idea where she is now.

[Tully Mars]

Petal is a nice town but almost everyone I have met there is the same, they don't like brothers. Man its like when I cross that river its going back in time to the 60's. Come on Petal people, where is the love? I think Tully and Belt should step foward and declare the Civil War is over and call off the dogs. How about it... brothers?

Biggie, I am afraid that you are going to see that mentality no matter where you go. There are people in Hattiesburg, Petal, Oak Grove, Jackson, Meridian...wherever, that are so racist that it makes my blood boil. I disagree that it is worse in Petal than in other areas.

As for myself, I grew up in a time and place where it just was not that much of an issue.

What you have to realize about Petal and other similar towns is that community development in today's climate is not an easy task. Petal is a city that has long lived in the shadow of Hattiesburg and has always settled for second best because it was often believed that second best was all Petal could get.

Lots of people are working real hard right now to change that perception. However, because of a limited tax base and a mentality that to "go to town to shop" means going to Hattiesburg, funding significant capital improvement projects is not easy. Combine that with the fact that it is very difficult to get federal grants in Petal to fund infrastructure improvements and you have a situation where some serious outside-the-box thinking is required.

The current Mayor and Board are trying real hard to bring Petal to the next level of development and beyond. Are the doing everything right all of the time? The answer to that is certainly a no. However, I doubt that anyone could point to any community where that is the case. The point is, that they are doing something. The problem with previous administrations was not that they were doing the wrong things, they just were not doing anything at all.

[fuzzis]

Petal is a nice town but almost everyone I have met there is the same, they don't like brothers. Man its like when I cross that river its going back in time to the 60's. Come on Petal people, where is the love? I think Tully and Belt should step foward and declare the Civil War is over and call off the dogs. How about it... brothers?

Looking at it from the outside, I have to say that it's not a Petal thing, or even just a MS thing. I can't count the number of times I've been shocked either by word or deed.

fuzzis

[Biggie]

Thanks for the posts on this issue. Maybe it is a Mississippi thing but hopefully things are getting better as some of these old cats in power are replaced by color blind officials.

OK everybody, its time to hold hands and sing along... you to Tully....

"...ebony and ivory, side by side on my piano keyboard"

[Tully Mars]

Thanks for the posts on this issue. Maybe it is a Mississippi thing but hopefully things are getting better as some of these old cats in power are replaced by color blind officials.

OK everybody, its time to hold hands and sing along... you to Tully....

"...ebony and ivory, side by side on my piano keyboard"

Sorry Biggie but its not just a "Mississippi" thing either. I would challenge you to go to any state in the union and not find examples of racism. Even in the so-called enlightened areas of the country such as California and New England it exists. I can assure you that in the south it is much more visible and more outwardly discussed than in other areas of the country but racism is not a geographical phenomenon.

[fuzzis]

Sorry Biggie but its not just a "Mississippi" thing either. I would challenge you to go to any state in the union and not find examples of racism. Even in the so-called enlightened areas of the country such as California and New England it exists. I can assure you that in the south it is much more visible and more outwardly discussed than in other areas of the country but racism is not a geographical phenomenon.

I think the difference is that in other areas of the country, it's a different race that is discriminated against. I know that in Reno, it was the Hispanics and the Pacific Islanders who were most openly discriminated against/talked about.

fuzzis

[Fire Extinguisher]

Petal (the city) will never become the new Oak Grove. The areas east and north of Petal will grow, because of the smaller than Oak Grove (for now) school along with the fact the poeple dont want their kids in Hattiesburg schools.
The City of Petal itself, people are already looking to get out, now that the great dictator is mayor and the board of aldermen are scared of him. I was considering opening a business in Petal, we dont have anywhere to eat here but fast food and mexican but now there is no way I would open inside the city limits. Taxes are to high, and growing under this 'leadership." Yes, there will be some businesses spring up along the new highway, some will make it, most will not due to the fact that they will be taxed into higher prices and the easy access highway will lead the shoppers straight to the west side of Hattiesburg and Oak Grove for a better deal.
Now he wants to reduce employee benifits, thus reducing their pay..... I look for the numbers of HPD crossing the river to decrease. The Petal Fire Department is already loosing firefighters thus reducing the protection of experienced people on the trucks. This man cannot see the light, the city is not the elected officals, its the people who live in it, and one of the things that make or break a city is its employees that he cares nothing about, nor does he care about the citizens. We already pay through the nose for garbage and trash pickup, with extra fees charged if you have "to much" The aldermen voted to waive the extra fees, aunamious vote, he quickly vetoed it, and in their usual cowardly way they have decided not to overide! Jimmy (ride my bike) Moore stated that they must be unified. Unified to what? A uncaring egotistical manic?

The Citizens of Petal must stand and speak now, we need to find out how to go about having a recall election and get rid of this man and his brown shirts!

[MSQueen]

Petal (the city) will never become the new Oak Grove. The areas east and north of Petal will grow, because of the smaller than Oak Grove (for now) school along with the fact the poeple dont want their kids in Hattiesburg schools.
The City of Petal itself, people are already looking to get out, now that the great dictator is mayor and the board of aldermen are scared of him. I was considering opening a business in Petal, we dont have anywhere to eat here but fast food and mexican but now there is no way I would open inside the city limits. Taxes are to high, and growing under this 'leadership." Yes, there will be some businesses spring up along the new highway, some will make it, most will not due to the fact that they will be taxed into higher prices and the easy access highway will lead the shoppers straight to the west side of Hattiesburg and Oak Grove for a better deal.
Now he wants to reduce employee benifits, thus reducing their pay..... I look for the numbers of HPD crossing the river to decrease. The Petal Fire Department is already loosing firefighters thus reducing the protection of experienced people on the trucks. This man cannot see the light, the city is not the elected officals, its the people who live in it, and one of the things that make or break a city is its employees that he cares nothing about, nor does he care about the citizens. We already pay through the nose for garbage and trash pickup, with extra fees charged if you have "to much" The aldermen voted to waive the extra fees, aunamious vote, he quickly vetoed it, and in their usual cowardly way they have decided not to overide! Jimmy (ride my bike) Moore stated that they must be unified. Unified to what? A uncaring egotistical manic?

The Citizens of Petal must stand and speak now, we need to find out how to go about having a recall election and get rid of this man and his brown shirts!
fire,
i agree with much of what u say about petal, with some exceptions. i agree that mayor carl has taken control of the city, but isn't it about time?! i agree that he is NOT a "people person" and has no personality to speak of, but personally, i can handle that if he can make our city better in the long run. we have had "people persons" for mayor in the past, and what has that gotten us? tony phillips was an excellent ball player, but he was NOT mayor material, although some would say that he was bought and paid for by a select few -- which i'm not truly convinced on that issue. regardless, mayor tony was a "people person" and would say whatever he needed to say to appease whomever he was talking to at the time. give him a "hard issue" to handle, and u could never get what his true stand was on the issue, because it would depend on who was talking to him at the time, and what they wanted the outcome to be. so, i have to say that even though mayor carl has thoroughly managed to p'o most of the citizens of petal over one issue or another, i am going to reserve my final feelings toward him for a while to see what happens. i know, some would say, "do u need to wait to watch the sky fall above u?", but i believe the man came in to office with lots of tough issues that were left for him from mayor tony's administration, and he has decided to tackle some of them head-on. my main gripe with the mayor is that he doesn't seem to "test the waters" with the people before taking such extreme actions as he has on some matters. that's where i feel he is lacking, and perhaps making some of his biggest mistakes. the outcome of the vote for annexation several years ago was to annex those additional areas, yes, to increase the city's tax base, but to also be allowed to grow, especially in some of the areas which are already considered to be part of the city of petal. so now that they have been annexed, it is time for the city to "pay the piper", i.e., get everything lined up to provide the services for the annexed areas that the original citizens of petal are provided. that is where all the exorbitant costs start to come in. but, IT HAS TO BE DONE, IT'S THE LAW! they only have so many years after the areas annexed are to be provided with the services from the city, AND THE TIME IS CREEPING UP ON THE CITY.
i could talk about some of the aldermen, but it really wouldn't be fair, because i don't personally know any of them very well, if at all, other than jimmy, since i went to school with him -- YEARS ago! lol also, i don't attend the board meetings every month, so i am not truly informed on what goes on, although i hope to become a more active participant in those meetings in the future. i think the reason i haven't participated as much as i should is that in the past i have gone and have gotten really "riled up" about certain issues and let my feelings be known and nothing has been done about many of them. i don't like to let them affect my life and health, and therefore, i just let it go. that's why i am reserving my judgment of mayor carl -- hopefully he will at least start to listen to what the citizens of petal think and mull it around in his head before making rush decisions in some matters.

[Conveyor Belt]

The citizens elected him, now they have to live with him. What's right is not always popular, and what's popular is not always right. Anyone who's catching alot of negative media, who's not breaking the law, is doing something right. I'm just going to sit back and see what happens. I was not a citizen of the city of Petal before the election, so I didn't elect Scott, but I did go to school with his daughter.
Any elected official who's getting all praise and no press is not doing anything, which isn't necessarily bad, just boring. I like the political excitment Scott's brought to this politically lazy city.

[MSQueen]

The citizens elected him, now they have to live with him. What's right is not always popular, and what's popular is not always right. Anyone who's catching alot of negative media, who's not breaking the law, is doing something right. I'm just going to sit back and see what happens. I was not a citizen of the city of Petal before the election, so I didn't elect Scott, but I did go to school with his daughter.
Any elected official who's getting all praise and no press is not doing anything, which isn't necessarily bad, just boring. I like the political excitment Scott's brought to this politically lazy city.
con, what do u mean by "this politically lazy city"??? :smt102

[Conveyor Belt]

I mean the political battles are isolated. Every now and then you'll hear something in the media about Petal politics, but not as often as Hattiesburg or Laurel. Not that it's the size of the previous two, but it's in the same media area.

[lamarrebel]

That's true....I'd probably put Petal 4th in media attention when it comes to political matters behind 1) City of Hattiesburg 2) City of Laurel and 3) Lamar County Board of Supervisors.

[jmack]

Where is alderman Draughn when you need him?

[EmmaRae]

could he be seeing a horse about a man???????:smt003:smt003

[IGID]

I thought I saw him in a van with smoke coming out of it....:smt033

[beggingforrelief]

As we all know, Petal is a bedroom community with the majority of its inhabitants wanting to keep it that way. Change is a hard thing to accept when no plan for improvement is provided for all to view. For Petal to exist and prosper, the city administration must develop a plan of progress and the citizens must consider it with an open mind. But the plan must not put Petal in a financial bind (Unlike Progress Hattiesburg) for which they can not recover from. The annexation that Petal undertook a few years ago, IMO was ill timed because the city did not have the infrastructure to meet the needs of that area and is still trying to establish services without the financial stability needed.
I agree that the Mayor of Petal may overstep his authority, but at least he is trying to move forward. He just may need to reign himself in a little and utilize a management style of progressive change instead of the "bull in the china closet" mentality.

[nthemedia]

Oh yea, the other thign I dont like about Petal.

Petal has no ordanince against burning in the city limits. (no fireworks thought THAT woudl start a fire!)

So living in petal is like living in a smoldering garbage dump, year round.

DO NOT move there if you have alergies...

[Tommy9854]

Oh yea, the other thign I dont like about Petal.

Petal has no ordanince against burning in the city limits. (no fireworks thought THAT woudl start a fire!)

So living in petal is like living in a smoldering garbage dump, year round.

DO NOT move there if you have alergies...

Then why has the fire department been by our house telling us to put our fire out before?

[nthemedia]

County Wide BURN BAN


When these are not in effect, burn away..

[wilebill]

So I've got a bunch of stuff I need to get rid of - I can just go to Petal and burn it?

[RevranAL]

Where is alderman Draughn when you need him?

I thinks that was him I seen handin' Brotha V. Farlee an envelope at the Jr Food Mart ova on 4th and Main, where Brotha Vaston sells the pirated CD's fo 5 dolla's apiece.

Glory! Glory!
RevranAL
It is the Righteous Man that shall inherits the Kingdom

[ConservativeRepublican]

I am going to add to this intelligent discussion and join the fray:

PETAL SUCKS!

[ConservativeRepublican]

Whoa whoa whoa...calm down little doggie...I taught in the Petal schools for 10 years.

PETAL STILL SUCKS! HA! (j/k) Old Rivalry, thats all.

[TheBuckStopsHere]

I think you all are under estimating the rapid growth here in the Hattiesburg area and focusing in on the community of Petal and the Oak Grove area. The community of Petal has always relied on the spin off business from the greater Hattiesburg area and Oak Grove is merely a place most people reside at night and return to Hattiesburg by day. With continued vision and leadership we will imerge as the growth leader in south Mississippi.

[Jessica]

The only thing that will EMERGE from the current city of Hattiesburg leadership is an increasing crime rate and more of the honest people deciding to move out to Oak Grove or Petal to escape the chaos if things do not change quickly.

[Conveyor Belt]

Whoa whoa whoa...calm down little doggie...I taught in the Petal schools for 10 years.

When and what did you teach?

[MSQueen]

Then why has the fire department been by our house telling us to put our fire out before?
the fire dept. visited us too -- back before Katrina. i don't think they are doing that anymore since katrina, other than when there is an actual burn ban out due to no rain. our neighbor called the fire dept. on us. they've called on many people in our surrounding neighborhoods. he claims his wife and daughter have allergies and the smoke irritates it. not that i doubt they have allergies, but i can't see how it can bother them from that far away, especially from neighbors a block or two away. i think the city is actually trying to back off from having a "no burn" policy. i wouldn't have a big problem with them having a "no burn" policy IF the city would PROMPTLY pick up the piles placed out by the road instead of letting them sit there for WEEKS and then having them clog up what drainage there is in the ditches when it rains!!

[MSQueen]

The only thing that will EMERGE from the current city of Hattiesburg leadership is an increasing crime rate and more of the honest people deciding to move out to Oak Grove or Petal to escape the chaos if things do not change quickly.

yeah, buck, then let's see what the likes of fairley, dupree, wynn, commodore and mt. caramel have to leave as a "memorial" to the city of hattiesburg. there will be no remaining tax base for the 'burg, since all the real taxpayers will have left, and therefore, there will be no money to run the city, keep up the roads, or pay for any services. sounds something like "b-a-n-k-r-u-p-t" (or "broke").

[wilebill]

yeah, buck, then let's see what the likes of fairley, dupree, wynn, commodore and mt. caramel have to leave as a "memorial" to the city of hattiesburg. there will be no remaining tax base for the 'burg, since all the real taxpayers will have left, and therefore, there will be no money to run the city, keep up the roads, or pay for any services. sounds something like "b-a-n-k-r-u-p-t" (or "broke").
Unfortunately, the city is probably not as dependent upon personal property taxes as some other cities are. With all the retail businesses within the city limits, they rake in a buttload of money on sales taxes.

So even if the whole city were to turn into the slums (and it's on its way) there would probably still be more than enough money from sales taxes to carry on at a fairly high level of services.

[Blondie]

What's the deal with the motocycle cops in Petal? They always have somebody pulled over (hoping it's been none of you). Does Petal really need motorcycle cops? Guess with all of the complaints they got for raising water bills (and then lowering them back down a little) they had to make up the difference in traffic tickets.

[Tully Mars]

What's the deal with the motocycle cops in Petal? They always have somebody pulled over (hoping it's been none of you). Does Petal really need motorcycle cops? Guess with all of the complaints they got for raising water bills (and then lowering them back down a little) they had to make up the difference in traffic tickets.

Quite the contrary, I live just off of one of the most notorious streets in Petal for speeders. The presence of the motorcycle cops (and the tickets they have written) have helped to curtail the speeding on this particular street. I have two sons (ages 8 and 11) who love to run around and explore the neighborhood. I can allow them to do this a bit more freely now that speeding is being controlled.

If you are not breaking any traffic laws then what is there to worry about from the motorcycle cops. If you are...then IMO you get what is coming to you. If Petal happens to pick up some extra revenue in the process then so much the better.

[jmack]

Damn... Tully you ain't playing today.
Reports of your death are premature. Glad to see you back. :smt054 :police:

[ynotme297]

What's the deal with the motocycle cops in Petal? They always have somebody pulled over (hoping it's been none of you). Does Petal really need motorcycle cops? Guess with all of the complaints they got for raising water bills (and then lowering them back down a little) they had to make up the difference in traffic tickets. they traded their drug dogs for motorcycles. it was cheaper. petal now has about as many cops as hattiesburg has. in fact that is where they got most of them. (snicker)

[Blondie]

I totally agree with you Tully about speeding in Petal, but the places I see the cops aren't in residential areas. They are on East HardyMain coming into Petal and on Chappell Hill Road by the gas plant. I don't know about you, but I couldn't speed coming and going on East Hardy/Main if I tried. Too much traffic.

Where I use to live speeding on my street was bad, and we never saw cops, but we moved and the street has no through traffic (which was one of the reasons we moved). I have little ones, so I understand. Just don't see the motorcycles many places except the main streets where you really can't speed. I would have loved it if they had stopped speeders on my old street. Use to scare me to death with my kids outside and playing with the kids beside us and across the street.

As for me speeding, having kids has slowed me down. I'm not that worried about getting caught since I don't normally speed. Now my college days, that was another story . . .

Glad to know we're neighbors Tully. Thanks for enlightening me on the speeding problem. I just wasn't sure why they got the motorcycles. Seems like they have a whole lot more cops than they use to have. Luckily we (Petal) have gotten some really good ones from HPD (although I hate they had to leave). Our benefit!

[Blondie]

Tully, just in case I do get stopped, maybe my looks will help me! ;)

[Conveyor Belt]

I saw those motorcycle cops in Petal the other day and I said WTF? I couldn't believe it. I kindof laughed to myself.

I've slowed down a lot since moving inside the city limits. Outside the limits, I was usually going 70 if I was moving at all. Now, I stick to the posted 50, or about 7 over that.

A few Tuesdays ago, I saw HPD setting traps on 49south from the PRC complex to just past 98... It was funny to me, because they had a set, then about 500 yards down the road, there'd be another group setup... so, you pass the first set, thinking you've dodged a bullet, speed up, and bammo! I thought it was ingenious and crafty... I didn't know HPD had more than 2 motorcycle cops... I saw 4 that day.

[Tully Mars]

For obvious reasons the motorcycles give them a bit more flexibility and in certain cases can speed up incident response time. Yes, I have seen them on S. Main and the Bypass/Hwy 11 as well but I also see officers much more frequently these days in our neighborhoods.

Trust me, I am the first to state that Petal is not the perfect city. However, I do feel safe living in Petal and feel confident that my kids are being raised in a place where they can grow up feeling relatively safe and secure.

[lamarrebel]

I agree with Tully that Petal is a friendly, family oriented town and as safe as anywhere around here to live and grow. The only real criticism that I have of the the area was lack of planning in terms of roads and infrastructure. The Evelyn Gandy Parkway will be a major step in improving this, but it will be a long work in progress as the area continues to grow.

[Blondie]

Once again Tully I have to agree with you. Petal is a great place to raise your kids. My husband grew up here, and I have to admit I wasn't that excited about moving here, but it didn't take me long to really like it. It's not too big, the necessities are close, and I have been so pleased with the schools. And my kids can't seem to get enough of the new playground. I have to take them every week. I have a couple of friends in OG that tell me they would never live in Petal. Their loss.

My only problem with Petal in the restaurant selection (or lack thereof). We would be one hopping city if we had a good place to get a steak. Or just a place to get a steak period.

[Tully Mars]

I agree with Tully that Petal is a friendly, family oriented town and as safe as anywhere around here to live and grow. The only real criticism that I have of the the area was lack of planning in terms of roads and infrastructure. The Evelyn Gandy Parkway will be a major step in improving this, but it will be a long work in progress as the area continues to grow.

One thing to remember about Petal's history (in many ways similar to Oak Grove's) is that Petal was never originally intended to become a city. Most folks here were content with being a rural bedroom community of Hattiesburg. It was only until issues began cropping up that affected the schools did discussion of a city begin.

Petal's roads, and other infrastructure simply were not originally designed to handle the density that now exists. When you combine that with the past 12-16 years of little to now maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure and you have the situation that we are dealing with now.

Nonetheless, as folks from Petal are known to do, we will discover some creative solutions to resolving these issues and we will continue to allow our little city to grow in a way that will allow it to remain a safe and vibrant community.

Now...if I could just get Blondie to use her looks to help me out with a ticket in Purvis. :smt118 :smt118 :smt118

[jmack]

I have joked around about Petal in the past on this forum but Petal is a great place to live and raise a family. I came close to moving there years ago. I recomended the area to my sister who is moving back to Mississippi from Longview, TX next year and she has already interviewed at the school for a teaching position.

[Tully Mars]

I have joked around about Petal in the past on this forum but Petal is a great place to live and raise a family. I came close to moving there years ago. I recomended the area to my sister who is moving back to Mississippi from Longview, TX next year and she has already interviewed at the school for a teaching position.

Yea and besides all of that, the City of Petal has one heck of a great Planner working for them. :smt038

[jmack]

When did Mark Jenkins go to work for Petal?

[Tully Mars]

When did Mark Jenkins go to work for Petal?

Now THAT is cold-blooded. :smt070 :smt072 :smt079 :smt067 :afro:

[jmack]

LOL.. Man they should have sold tickets to watch you and him getting into it when we all worked together.

[Tully Mars]

LOL.. Man they should have sold tickets to watch you and him getting into it when we all worked together.

Tell me about it...I can't think of another liberal that I have had that much fun debating with...Except maybe when Hilary C. was here. :smt119

[HillaryC]

Tully was that debating or flirting?

[Tully Mars]

Tully was that debating or flirting?

Killing two birds with one stone, multitasking, debating, flirting...call it what you will. :-D

[nthemedia]

Once again Tully I have to agree with you. Petal is a great place to raise your kids. My husband grew up here, and I have to admit I wasn't that excited about moving here, but it didn't take me long to really like it. It's not too big, the necessities are close, and I have been so pleased with the schools. And my kids can't seem to get enough of the new playground. I have to take them every week. I have a couple of friends in OG that tell me they would never live in Petal. Their loss.

My only problem with Petal in the restaurant selection (or lack thereof). We would be one hopping city if we had a good place to get a steak. Or just a place to get a steak period.


Speaking of Petal schools.. It was either last year or the one before, Petal middle school had a problem with cel phone porn. Specificly the guys have photos of the girls naughty bits as wallpaper or just photos emailed back and forth between them...


Kids these days...

[Blondie]

There's a good article in today's HA about new business in Petal. Does anyone know where the Walgreens is going to be? I hope it doesn't hurt Gibsons and Rodgers pharmacies. I guess that's the down side to growth - small businesses can suffer.

[Tommy9854]

There's a good article in today's HA about new business in Petal. Does anyone know where the Walgreens is going to be? I hope it doesn't hurt Gibsons and Rodgers pharmacies. I guess that's the down side to growth - small businesses can suffer.It's going to be where the Subway and Ace Hardware was