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Page 3
Mike Watkins Makes his Mark for Research
His energy vibrates through the room when he steps through the door. You may think the energy is the after effect of his coming down from his tractor after cutting grass in city parks, but I don’t think so. This youngest city employee is the same type of charmer as Mikie was in the old cereal commercials. I would bet
“Mike is one of the hardest young workers we have. His diligence keeps us ail honest.”
Buddy Zimmerman
that more than once the guys in the yard have teased, “Let Mikie do it!”
When I asked him what he liked best about his job, there wasn’t anything special, just "... whatever my bosses want me to do. I do like all the talking and teasing that goes on in the yard before we leave for work.” He is assigned to Beautification, but Mike has helped put in culverts and lay asphalt. The variety of his work is much like his spare time spent in a variety of hobbies, but fishing is his favorite. “Buddy [Zimmerman] took me fishing out by the islands, and I never saw trout so big. I’ll never forget that fishing trip,” said Mike. You believe he means that by the way he beams when he tells you the story, and the spread of his arms tells you of the giant trout he saw and caught. When not fishing Mike likes to hunt or go bowling, his newest hobby.
Mike has made a major contribution to help fund Special Olympics. His elementary school art teacher entered a painting that he had done for his mother, Helen, in an art competition. Mike’s work, and that of a fellow student, won the preliminary competition in Picayune and went on to Jackson where Mike’s work won a second time. His work went on to Washington, D. C. where it was selected for publication for the interna-
tional Special Olympics.
The work has been reproduced on T-shirts and posters. Mike’s mom never got her painting, but I don’t think she minds. She knows the love was there from Mike.
Mike likes working in the fall and winter. He likes the nicknames the guys give one another. “They watch you for a year or so and see your patterns. That must be when they give you your new name. They call Ronnie Jones, Flounder. I don’t know why.” he said. Mike’s manner said that it would be okay if the guys found a nickname for him.
Mike and Helen Watkins have raised a fine, hard working, son. It won’t be long before City Hall will have one of his posters to display. He promised. I don’t think this young man will ever break his word.
Rene and Butch
Rene talks about his fellow workers as family. “Work is like being at home. We play practical jokes and give each other nicknames but we take care of one another on the job.”
As expected, both men fish for relaxation. Sometimes they go together. “It doesn’t matter to me where I fish, - pier, bridge, seawall, riverbank, boat, - just let me fish,” said Rene.
When asked if they could change anything in the city, both men had quick answers. Butch wants to see combined government for all areas south of Interstate 10 for both environmental and safety reasons. “I know we can do a better job of providing safe water and sewer systems for our residents,” he said. “I never want to see another septic tank installed, and we need to protect the quality of our drinking water. A change in the government system could do this.”
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Rene’s hot button was to build a large City marina and fishing pier. Butch agreed vigorously, saying he wanted to,”... see them have 700 boats there.” Both want development at Ulman Avenue or Washington Street. Rene, who would accept a 20 feet pier extension at Washington for the short term, said, “I like doing something at Ulman Avene because it would be better protected by the two bridges.”
His final comment was, “The police are doing a good job, and I don’t want them to change. I want them to keep up the work of keeping drugs off the streets.”
Neither man discussed retirement, only what they thought would help the Department and the City.
Rene and Butch like air conditioning, but they were ready to be outside -working to keep Bay St. Louis, A Place Apart.