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to to get a pulse of the feelings of those living in Bay St. Louis. In getting such a cross-section of opinion I talked with people I met on the streets, in the stores and shbps, the postoffice, restaurants, and at gatherings both social and civic. The response was almost unanimous I I learned that few people are satisfied with the present form of government. Tlieir reasons for dis-satisfaction vary. Some are personal experiences that went 30ur. Some are of a wider and far more serious consideration, tout for whatever reason the hue and cry was "KHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT OUfi LOCAL OOVEHNMENT".
Wy next step was to gather together other interested and informed citizens for the purpose of making a study of the several alternatives, '"here are four types of local government which this group studies, debated, considered and indeed prayed over. We then sought legal assistance to help in determining the correct procedure for formulating a toetition seeking 20 per cent of the qualified voters' signatures to bring the issue to a vote. Working on the principal of democracy we KMX seek the will of the majority.
Ky this time we were well into the month of December 1976. Time was of essence. There was much work to accomplish within a very short time, if we were to bring this issue to fruitation in time for a change in government for the coming General Election.
On December 19, 1976, an article appeared in the Sea Coast Echo with headlines CITIZENS OBQANIZE WANT CHANGE IN CITY GOVBBNKENT told rather accurately the plan. I had accepted chairmanship of the Citizens"Group, Joe Pllet had volunteered some time and talent to help with publicity and some public relations work and the group had started in earnest to fan out with a door-to-door neighborhood circulation of the petition. At this point I would like to explain that the wording of the petition in order for it to be legal had to