Pickleball is a fun, active paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It’s played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Pickleball uses a paddle and a plastic ball with holes, and is played as both singles and doubles.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the sport has surged in participation over the last five years, with more than 3.2 million players as of 2017, placing pickleball among the fastest growing sports in the U.S.
“Pickleball is just exploding with players and interest,” says USAPA Executive Director Justin Maloof.
Tupelo Area Pickleball wishes to boost all areas of the sport, from bringing more people into the game, to helping by promoting programs and leagues, to making the public, parks and recreation, and Tupelo’s city officials aware of the interest in pickleball in this community.
In Tupelo, pickleball is played at several locations. First Baptist Church on Mondays starting at 5:30 Pm, and Tuesdays and Thursday evenings 6P-8P it is played at the First United Methodist Church. For other times and places contact NMpickleball@outlook.com.
Of course, Tupelo Area Pickleball would love to see the city or some entity develop more programs and courts. Now is a great time to get out the word to mainstream consumers about the health, fitness and social benefits of the sport.
Tupelo Ambassador for the USAPA, Martin Herman, added , “Pickleball is really a terrific lifelong sport, it can be played by young and old, healthy and infirmed”. I find it great for exercise, weight control, and especially good for clearing my head”,
For sports facilities, schools and communities, pickleball courts are easy to create. A pickleball court is 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, and many courts are lined on existing sports surfaces, such as tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, in addition to being built as “standalone” courts. The USAPA estimates that each month, 300 pickleball courts are created in the U.S., either by adding lines to existing courts or building standalone courts.
Basics: Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The ball is served underhand starting from the right-hand side of the court and is served diagonally to the opponent’s service zone. The service return must bounce first. Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent faults (fails to return the ball, hits the ball out of bounds or steps into the non-volley zone while in the act of volleying the ball). A player may enter the non-volley zone anytime to play a ball that has bounced. However, the player must exit the non-volleyzone before playing a volley. The return of service must be allowed to bounce by the server (and partner in doubles play); i.e. cannot be volleyed. Consequently, the server or server and partner usually stay at the baseline until the first return has been hit back and bounced once. The first side scoring eleven points and is leading by at least two points wins.
Background: Created in 1965, pickleball began in Washington State in the backyard of former U.S. Rep. Joel Pritchard. After a day of golf, Pritchard returned home in search of a more family -friendly game. With makeshift paddles in hand he and a friend began batting around a perforated plastic ball. Rules were set and, after a few weeks, “pickleball” was born. Today, the number of places to play on the USAPA website has more than quadrupled since 2010 to nearly 5,000 locations in North America. Popularity of the sport also continues to grow world-wide with many new international clubs forming and national governing bodies now established in Canada, Spain and India, England, France and others.
During the first quarter of this school year, Tupelo schools handed out the lowest number of student discipline referrals since it began tracking the statistic in 2012-13.
During the first quarter of this school year, Tupelo Public School District handed out the lowest number of student discipline referrals since it began tracking the statistic in 2012-13.
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Sutter Street Manufacturing is expanding its upholstered furniture manufacturing operations by opening a facility in Baldwyn, bringing 350 jobs. It will be building high-end furniture for its Pottery Barn and West Elm brands. The manufacturer expects to begin production in January.
We had a wonderful time walking along side the Tupelo Grinch again this year! Thanks to the Tupelo Automobile Museum and The Grinch for including us… it is the highlight of our year!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!! Beginning this Saturday from 10am until 12pm.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi has undertaken the goal of mentoring young men and women by challenging and changing their mindsets to become leaders of tomorrow; their vision and selflessness gave us the inspiration to overhaul their community garden at the Haven Acres Club.
KTB wants to give the children a place where they can be in contact with the soil and concurrently be mentored by positive role models who are teaching life skills and helping them become confident in themselves and their abilities. The children can learn how to prepare the soil and plant the seeds at the beginning of the growing season and reap the benefits through harvesting their handiwork.
Thanks to Tupelo Quality of Life this project is funded, however to make this happen we need volunteers! We will be hosting a series of work days to construct the garden beds, install irrigation, and place gravel for walkways to replace the rotting and difficult-to-maintain infrastructure that is currently in place. Please join us for just a couple of hours beginning this Saturday! #keeptupelobeautiful#dobeautifulthings
“It Factor” : Something super critical when it comes to musicians trying to make it big, and it is something that this band has in spades. They ooze Charisma and “Rockstardom.” I have been following this band for a while now and it has been a real privilege watching them from early beginnings to where they are now.
When I first saw them at Romie’s Grocery almost a year ago, I really wasn’t expecting much. There was almost no one on the back patio to see them play, just a few people who were obviously friends with the band. But when they stepped on that stage, the entire atmosphere changed on the patio — it became vibrant and energetic. I was floored!
There were four young men jamming out to music that I grew up with, music that I cherished and adored, and they were killing it. I instantly became a fan and I have been following them ever since. Now when you see them play at The Thirsty Devil or Romie’s Grocery, it quickly becomes standing room only. The word has certainly started to spread around town about these talented musicians.
Critical Hour consists of Trey Chadwick, Keaton Barkstrom, Cody Barnes, and Nik Barkstrom. Currently, they are playing in the Tupelo area as a rock cover band, but they are currently working on cutting their first full-length album of original music. They cover a wide range of rock music that spans several decades. Everything from Led Zeppelin to ZZ Top, Foo Fighters to Stone Temple Pilots, Panic at the Disco to Highly Suspect, and many others.
These guys are super talented and they always put on a great show. The energy they put out is amazing and you can tell that they really enjoy rocking out with the crowd. One of the things I most admire about them is that when they take a break they actually go out among the crowd and introduce themselves. It has been rather amazing to watch as they make not only new fans but new friends as well.
I could tell you how they have some pretty deep roots in the North Mississippi music scene. Trey’s father, Jerry, is the bassist for Full Tilt and was also associated with another well-known cover band here called the Spunk Monkees. Cody’s dad was also in a band called Hired Gun. I really did think about going into that in depth in this article, but I won’t. I really think that even with all the musical roots that these guys have, that their own music and performances speak for itself. They do not need any name-dropping to highlight what they do so well that is consistently getting them booked at local venues in the area. If you haven’t made a point to go see them play you are certainly missing out.
I sent the guys some questions to do a Q&A session with them. Here are 16 questions with Critical Hour.
Marla: What is the origin of the name Critical Hour?
CH: We used the name from Trey’s old band from around 2007 or 2008. There’s not really any significance behind it, we just thought it sounded cool so we stuck with it.
Marla: Please list the name, age, location and respective instruments of each band member.
Trey Chadwick, 22, Blue Springs, Mississippi, Bass/Lead Vocals.
Nik Barkstrom, 21, New Albany, Mississippi, Keyboards/Guitar/Bass.
Keaton Barkstrom, 23, New Albany, Mississippi, Guitar/Backing Vocals.
Marla: What genre of music do you consider your original work to be? What are your major influences?
CH: Post-hardcore/Experimental Rock. Some bands that influenced our sound would be: Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Enter Shikari, Silverstein, Linkin Park, and Chiodos.
Marla: How long have you all known each other and where did you meet?
CH: Trey and Nik met through mutual friends in 2011. From there, the band was initially formed in March 2013. Later that year, we shared a stage with Cody while he was playing with his former band, Of The Coast. In 2014, we started writing and trying to record an album of original songs, which we are only just now finishing up with the help of a producer, Kevin Langley, at All In Recordings, based out of Alabama.
Marla: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
CH: We started playing covers with Cody in June 2017, which is how the 4 of us started playing together. Music has always played a big role in our lives, so it just kind of happened.
Marla: Which songs do you cover most frequently? Do you have a set playlist for each show?
CH: We will occasionally make a set list so that we can keep the downtime to a minimum, but usually we like to play what it seems like the crowd is feeling, so even when we do make a set list, we often times switch songs out for others on the spot if we feel like it fits the atmosphere better. The songs that we cover most frequently would probably be a range of classic hard-hitting classic rock songs and a few more popular modern songs to try to appeal to a wide age range.
Marla: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week that you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
CH: We practice according to everyone’s schedule and availability. Usually about once or twice a week. Rehearsals are mostly a mix of jamming and practicing songs to play at upcoming gigs.
Marla: How has your music evolved since you first started playing together?
CH: Well, we really first started just by jamming and feeling out a sound for ourselves, first as more of a Hard Rock sound, then getting more experimental with different synth sounds, heavier riffs, and different vocal styles. Then as composition came, a more articulated sound came through, mapping it out on music software, until we felt like we had something solid.
Marla: What do you do outside of music that contributes to your musicality?
CH: It’s different for each of us in some ways, though we definitely share some interests. Trey, for instance, enjoys cooking, which he does for work. Reading can be a source of creativity. Pretty much all of the lyrics of our original songs are based on the stories of characters from books or movies. Going to see movies is really energizing as well.
Marla: Do you have a formal music education or were you self-taught?
CH: Between 7th grade and junior year of high school, Trey was in choir, which emphasized proper vowel shaping and other projection techniques. The rest of us were all self-taught. Growing up, Cody’s dad was a drummer, so he always had a drum kit around whenever he wanted to play and other drummers who were friends of his dad would show him things. Nik started first with piano and moved on to synthesizers, which opened up a wider space for experimenting and learning about, then incorporated guitar later. Keaton started with guitar and moved on to learning more about music theory and composition.
Marla: What are you working on right now as a band?
CH: Right now, we are mostly working on finishing up our first album. Outside of that, we are also trying to build up a large enough repertoire of covers to give a different performance for whatever kind of crowd we are playing to.
Marla: How do you feel about the internet in the music business?
CH: With a virtually free way to globally market anything today, it is the dawning of the independent artist. But since everyone now has a voice, oversaturation could definitely be an issue. So, now artists not only have to have a unique product but also almost have to be as much of a marketer as a musician. It’s definitely a good thing in the end because record label domination doesn’t have to dictate what is listened to.
Marla: How would you describe and rate the current music scene in Tupelo right now?
CH: There is definitely a lot of talent to be seen in Tupelo and it seems like the music scene is slowly growing. We’ve personally seen more and more people showing up to our shows in Tupelo than when we first started.
Marla: What is next for Critical Hour?
CH: With the release of this album, we will be looking to do more original shows, maybe opening for touring acts. We have also been thinking about going under a different name for our original music and continuing our covers with the name Critical Hour, either way, we still look forward to playing more cover shows as well as debuting these originals that we’ve been working on for a long time.
Marla: Please recommend 2 artists to our readers, which you feel deserve their attention, either local or national.
CH: We’d say Full Tilt and Magnolia Cult. They are both talented local bands and if you haven’t seen them yet, you are missing out.
Marla: Is there anyone you would like to acknowledge or thank for helping you achieve your current level of success?
CH: We definitely want to thank the local venues of Tupelo, particularly Romie’s Grocery and The Thirsty Devil, for giving us the opportunity to play there. Also, a big thanks to our friends and family for coming out and having a good time with us.
You can next see Critical Hour perform at The Thirsty Devil on July 28th. I highly recommend it! The band does have their own Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/criticalhour
Check them out! Support Local Music!
Interested in seeing your own artist profile highlighted here on Our Tupelo?
The relative brevity of human life is a recurring theme in my astronomy class. In fact, I start the semester by telling my students that I’m going to die soon. I have no terminal illness, nor do I lead a lifestyle that would put me at higher risk for accidental death. Even so, I’m going to die soon – my life cycle, even if I live to a ripe old age, is minuscule when compared to the life cycle of stars (our star, the Sun, is about 5 billion years old and will live for another 5 billion) or the age of the observable universe (13.8 billion years).
This humbling perspective is not only useful in the study of astronomy, but in other sciences as well. Just last week, I was telling my students how much I enjoy taking my sons to Coon Creek Nature Center in Adamsville, TN (http://www.memphismuseums.org/coon-creek-science-center/).
Every year, they host a Pink Palace Members’ Day during which attendees get to unearth fossils of aquatic life from about 70 million years ago when our region was submerged as part of the ancient Gulf of Mexico.
Inspired by this tale of fossil hunting, this week one of my students brought in this beautiful fossil specimen found even closer to home (Pontotoc County).
The Earth is rich with history if you know where to look.
Any idea what it might be? Turns out it is a mastodon tooth. My student’s son just happened to step on it as he was crossing a creek and later unearthed it.
The Earth is rich with history if you know where to look.
Mastodons were distant relatives of modern elephants (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon) and roamed North America perhaps as early as 5 million years ago before becoming extinct about 11,000 years ago.
The Earth is rich with history if you know where to look.
I often advise my astronomy students to “Keep looking up,” but this fossil find makes it clear that it is worth looking down as well.
It’s Friday, so we can all go home right? No? Ok, then here’s where some good food is, and what to do when the day is over.
Today is Friday, November 16 2018. It is the 320th day of the year and there are 45 days left. Thanksgiving is 6 days away. Winter’s “official” start is 35 days away, and Christmas is 38 days away.
A few high, thin clouds are likely this Friday morning. But otherwise, we’re just mostly clear and freezing in many spots. Temperatures begin in the lower to mid-30s with a few in the upper 20s. Wind chills will be in the mid-20s and lower 30s. Throughout the day, we’ll see abundant sunshine and a light southwest wind. Temperatures will be much warmer than yesterday, likely into the mid to upper 50s and lower 60s in spots. No rain is anticipated.
Join O.D. for story time at Oren Dunn City Museum O.D. will read a story selected to teach preschool children about history and have fun while they are at it! A short activity will follow.Contact the museum to schedule your group or family. Multiple times from which to choose. Times: 9-10 AM; 11 AM-12 PM; 1-2 PM.
Tonight
Nothing says Christmas like the annual Welcome Santa Parade at The Mall at Barnes Crossing. Join Santa and his helpers as they set up the local workshop. Pictures will begin tonight, and Santa will post his schedule later in the day. The parade is from 6:00-7:00
GumTree Museum of Art presents the Opening Reception for Charlie Buckley & Allan Innman’s As Above, So Below exhibit. Come meet the artist, view their works, and enjoy delicious appetizers & wine. 5:30-7:00
Tupelo Community Theatre presents “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” by Edward Albee at 213 East Franklin Street Nov. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. Winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play, the Broadway production of this play was a shattering and memorable experience and proclaimed the author as a major American playwright. The play has been described as a scorching, scalding, revealing and completely engrossing drama and a brilliant piece of writing. The story involves a professor at a small college and his wife who have returned home drunk from a party. The wife announces that she has invited a young couple, an opportunistic new professor at the college and his shatteringly naïve new bride, to stop by and the charade begins when they arrive. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for students. 7:00-10:00
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A WATER CIRCUS Tupelo, Mississippi?!?! Cirque Italia brings it’s BRAND NEW 2018 SHOW at The Mall at Barnes CrossingNovember 15-18 – ONE WEEK ONLY – DON’T MISS IT!!! Don’t miss out on STATE-OF-THE-ART Water Fountains and a mesmerizing water curtain! Contortionists that will bend like a pretzel, AN AMAZING WHEEL OF DEATH and SO MUCH MORE! All above our 35K gallon water stage!! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW at cirqueitalia.com or call 941-704-8572!! 7:30-9:30
If you like sweet or dry adult beverages, love good food, and are craving an evening out, head down to Queen’s Reward Meadery and join Gypsy Roadside Mobile from 5:00-8:00 for a good helping of all three.
At BancorpSouth Arena the big concert of the week is Mission Temple Fireworks Revival, featuring Paul Thorn Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, and McCrary Sisters. Tickets are still available. The concert begins at 7:30
We’ve got a busy weekend coming up, with more “weather on shuffle” so have fun, be excellent to each other, and have an awesome day.
Today is Thursday, November 15th, 2018. Today is the 319th day of the year and there are 46 days left in the year. Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday, so 7 days away. Lots of us will be traveling, and some parts of the country are likely to have rough conditions so be careful out there. Winter starts in 36 days (Officially, but I’m pretty sure we can say it’s here now) and Christmas is 39 days from today.
We continue to see clouds across the region along with freezing temperatures and north winds. Along with these clouds could come a few lingering flurries for those along the Tennessee state line. But more than likely, all the moisture is out of the region. There has also been some fog over West Tennessee, some of which could drift into our northern counties. So watch for slick spots on bridges and overpasses early this morning in our northern counties. Otherwise, we’ll gradually clear out the clouds and sunshine returns by mid-afternoon. Temperatures will warm from the upper 20s and lower 30s to the upper 30s to lower 40s.
At 1:30, City of Tupelo – Mayor’s Office invites you to their Community Outreach Taskforce’s Community Thanksgiving Celebration. Held at the reception hall of the Link Centre (bottom floor on the “back” side of the building) this luncheon and meet&greet will give local community members and organizers a chance to join together and give thanks.
Tonight
ICC astronomy instructor Bob Swanson invites you to Backyard Astronomy — a free educational astronomy event open to the public and suitable for all ages. Come join the fun at ICC Tupelo’s Health Sciences Building where you’ll be able to see the stars inside the dome of a 17-foot inflatable planetarium. Other activities include a general-interest program featuring Bob Swanson’s science-inspired music, as well as short presentations by current astronomy students. Weather-permitting, attendees will view the Moon, Mars, and the Pleiades star cluster using ICC’s telescopes. Event is come-and-go from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Free refreshments will be served.
Relias Healthcare welcomes all medical professions to their Jim Spruiell Northern Region Emergency Medicine Collaborative Meeting. Join them at the BancorpSouth Conference Center for a presentation by Scott Weingart, MD on the topic of Cognitive Bias in Clinical Decision Making. Dinner will be provided. 6:00-8:00
Tupelo Community Theatre will present Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee November 15-17 at 7 p.m. at @TCT Off Broadway, 213 East Franklin. Winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play, the Broadway production of this play was a shattering and memorable experience and proclaimed the author as a major American playwright. The play has been described as a scorching, scalding, revealing and completely engrossing drama and a brilliant piece of writing. The story involves a professor at a small college and his wife who have returned home drunk from a party. The wife announces that she has invited a young couple, an opportunistic new professor at the college and his shatteringly naïve new bride, to stop by and the charade begins when they arrive. The play is R rated for language and discussions some patrons may find offensive. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and may be purchased by calling the TCT office at 844-1935.
In town this week, set up by The Mall at Barnes Crossing, Cirque Italia-Gold Unit presents their amazing water circus. Packed full of incredible acts, there is no room for boredom. The variety presented is exceptional. For those who enjoy whimsy, we have an Avatar. There is almost no bodily limit for our contortionist, Ricardo, as he bends in ways you never would have imagined. Our incredible wheel of death performance features a front somersault flip, something you will be hard-pressed to see anywhere else. If that doesn’t get your head spinning, perhaps our 5 roller skaters and their incredible tricks and turns will. And although Cirque Italia does not use animals in our performances, this year we will be featuring amazing lifelike elephant puppets. They are so well made, you might just think they are real. Whether it’s a futuristic laser act or mesmerizing aerial performances, the show has something for all tastes and expectations. One thing Cirque Italia sets out to accomplish is to create a type of world-class entertainment suitable for all age groups. For more information visit www.cirqueitalia.com and make sure to check all our social media accounts. Tickets can be purchased now starting at $10.00-$50.00 depending on availability. Cirque Italia offers one free child admission with every full priced paying adult ticket in levels 2 or 3.
Live Music Tonight
Link Centre presents The Monthly Music Mix. Take Jerry Lee Lewis, add some Victor Borge, Beethoven on steroids, garnish with Schroeder from Peanuts, throw it all in a blender, and what comes out is an unmistakable Jason Farnham show. Link Centre Concert Hall $12/advance $15/door $8/students
I feel like I’ve missed somewhere so if you know of an event going on that I don’t have list, pleas add it in the comments and I’ll try to get it on the list.
Pickleball is a fun, active paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It’s played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Pickleball uses a paddle and a plastic ball with holes, and is played as both singles and doubles.
