Your Life - Special Packages - Guide To Gulf Coast Living

Saturday, Jun. 20, 2009

Pearl River County is full of potential

Pearl River County is bubbling with potential, said District 4 Supervisor Patrick Lee.

“We have a lot going on, such as our recreational public lake which will encompass 950 acres of water,” Lee said. “It will be one of the biggest in the state.”

The Interstate 59 corridor runs straight through Pearl River County, along with the railroad. Pearl River County, home to almost 60,000 people, is the highest ground from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans, Lee said.

“A huge benefit our county has is being so close to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast,” Lee said. “We are relatively safe as far as hurricanes and we have seen a great increase in our population due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.”

The Pearl River County office is under construction in Picayune - since the former building was destroyed by Katrina - and will provide a more convenient place for residents to handle their county business, Lee said.

“It will be a satellite office for people in the south end of the county so they won’t have to drive all the way to Poplarville,” he said. “We are building one of the nicest county buildings in the state and it’s expected to open within a year.”

Picayune, one of the two cities in Pearl River County, recently formed the Pearl River Community Band, which consists of 100 members of all ages and all locations, said Eileen Baker, assistant manager of Picayune Main Street Inc.

“Anybody in the county can join,” Baker said. “We even have band members who drive from Slidell, Diamondhead, Hancock County and Gulfport just to play in our band.”

Baker said the organizations asked students from Picayune’s junior high school and high school to participate because it advances their musical skills and talents.

Pearl River County Community Band Director Johnny Baker was Picayune High School’s band director from 1971 to 1978. After retiring from the jewelry business, he was concerned about the band program within Picayune’s school district.

“I got involved again and started running into former students I taught during my days at the high school,” Baker said. “Next thing I knew, I agreed to be the community band’s director. I hope to bring the appreciation and love of music back to Pearl River County and contribute to the growth and development of music appreciation.”

Pearl River County is also home to many parks like Friendship Park, which hosts soccer and baseball tournaments, and Jack Read Park which has the Picayune Farmers Market.