The Choctaw Plaindealer

First impressions are important when meeting new people and also when visiting a town for the first time. People immediately start analyzing what they see, how friendly the community is and how businesses are portrayed.

A "First Impressions" team from the Mississippi State University Community Action Team visited Ackerman, Oct. 17, 2008 to observe the town from a visitor's viewpoint.

Chance McDavid, MSU Community Development Project manager, said "First Impressions" is "designed to capture the thoughts and feelings of visitors as they observe for the first time the characteristics of a community."

During the visit, teams of three or four people document their perceptions of both the positive and negative assets and challenges to social and economic growth in a community, according to the Community Assessment report.

Then the team leader presents the team's finding to the community to show them what positive assets the community has and areas that may need some work.

During the presentation of the report, Jan. 13, at the Choctaw County Economic Development Foundation, Alan Bates, CCEDF executive director, said this is a way to get an impression of your community.

McDavid described the report as a "snapshot of a tourist perspective of Ackerman."

When the team visited Ackerman they visited many places including downtown, the parks and the schools.

In their report, it discusses the positive and negative aspects of community entrances, downtown, retail shops, healthcare, housing, religion, residents, public infrastructure and tourism/recreation.

Some of the team's highlights of Ackerman, from the report, include:

¥Great park (Tom Glasgow Park) with lots of potential

¥ Friendly people

¥ Red Hills Ecoplex

¥ Nice walking park by the railroad

¥ The 2007 study of Ackerman being in the 10 ten places to raise children

¥ Old houses being restored-those add charm

¥ Downtown restaurant and great corner gift shop

¥ Safe-looking schools

The "First Impressions" team suggests the following as obstacles/challenges facing Ackerman, in their report:

¥ Outdated hospital facility

¥ Appearance of some of the businesses especially outside the immediate downtown area

¥ Chamber/economic development office being hidden

¥ Exploring new ways to showcase the community and using parks to draw visitors

¥ Hard to find or missing information touting famous people

¥ The four-way stop/intersection of Highway 12 looking junky and giving visitors a false impression about the community.

¥ Revitalizing the Tom Glasgow Park

McDavid said the team was asked what they would remember about Ackerman and they said the fabulous Tom Glasgow Park that isn't being used and maintained, the offensive graffiti on the restroom walls of the park and Pap's Place.

During McDavid's presentation he explained why the team liked or disliked almost every aspect of Ackerman.

He also said that the report is just ideas of what the team saw and their ideas of how to improve Ackerman. It is to help Ackerman create a long term vision with ideas on paper of how to unite the vision and implement it.

To see the full "First Impressions' report visit their website www.mscat.msstate.edu and click on First Impressions.