Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 1

iamVta-' 1 i i 65 PEAK OUTT" Stop leaning on racism crutch, 1 Deion and his silly boss, 1C VIUOO-UICOOIIIIJ correctness, 1 I IO t. Metro edition Jackson, Mississippi Tuesday September 12, 1995 500 MB3 Restaurant Row making room for one more with Good Eats Quality of food and service keys to success, competitors along stretch of I-55 agree. I 1 I (C i I CtO 'MMM iwy p-- if ii i-: Challenger Dick Molpus, who is listed first, says it's too late to make a change. By Mac Gordon Clarion-Ledger Start Writer Gov. Kirk Fordice on Monday contested the state's general election ballot because it lists his opponent first.

But Nov. 7 voting is not expected to be delayed. "There is not much the governor can do at this point. Dick Molpus is the king of elections in Mississippi and he is using his office any way he can to benefit himself," Fordice campaign spokesman John Arledge said. MoIdus.

who as By Will Pinkston Clarion-Ledger Business Writer From fast-food burgers and fries to four-star "cuisine, there are an estimated 400 restaurants in Jackson that serve up most any kind of fare. But nowhere is the concentration of eateries more dense than along a stretch of 1-55 known as Restaurant Row. The roughly two-mile leg from Meadowbrook Road to County Line Road is home to 45 restaurants and dozens of other food stands and mini -delis, The newest full-service facility, Good Eats i at Harvey Hotel Suites, opened its "doors Monday to brisk business. Harvey offi-: cials say they believe the area can bear at least one more restaurant, I "There's a hunger for restaurants in Jackson i that offer the kind of food quality and service we want to provide," said George Hall, manag-' er of Harvey's first Good Eats franchise. "We're expecting to be extremely successful here." Time will show how profitable the restaurant can be in a location flooded with other dining establishments.

But city officials say Restaurant Row will grow as long as people in Jackson keep eating put. People ate $180.5 million worth of food in Jackson restaurants last year, generating $12.6 million for the state's tax coffers. Restaurants statewide saw total sales of $1.3 billion and paid $98 million in taxes. Bubba Weir, the city's deputy director of economic development, says there is a simple reason for the build-up of places to eat along I- 55. "It's not an anomaly," Weir said.

"It's purely economic. The market demand is there and that's why the restaurants have been there." Entree prices at the 170-seat Good Eats are competitive for Restaurant Row, ranging from $6.95 to $10.95. And Hall says weekly revenues for the franchises can range from $20,000 to $50,000, depending on individual location and See RESTAURANTS, 7A Restaurant Row map, 7A tion ballot. Listing Democratic candidates first is traditional. Fordice is the state's first Republican governor this century.

Molpus is a Democrat. "The public should be especially wary of candidates who want to change the law unilaterally a few weeks before a major election," said Molpus, adding that Mississippi has listed candidates by major party "for a hundred years." Molpus said in a letter to Fordice Monday that the "most truly fair" method of drawing a ballot would be 1 with a random drawing. That idea struck a chord with the Fordice camp. "It is great to know that the secretary, after 12 long years in office, realizes there's a fairer way to arrange the ballot," said Fordice spokeswoman Johnna Van. Molpus said his office's research indicates much variety in ballot order across the country.

The secretary of state's office sent the general election ballot to the circuit clerk of each county on Monday. Clerks had mixed views on the controversy. "That's a political issue between the two candidates," said Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Burnell Harris, "I and most others are accustomed to the way we've been doing things, so I'd be against changing it." Harris, a Democrat, is unopposed for re-election. Leflore County Circuit Clerk Trey Evans said his ballot has listed Republican candidates first in some general elections. "There is nothing in the law that dictates how to lay out the ballot," said Evans, who was elected as a Democrat in 1991 but is running this year as an independent.

He also is unopposed. i II 1 I Hi JULJ 1r. i 1 51 II- 'ill 4 secretary of state roraice is the overseer of Mississippi's election process, is challenging Fordice for governor. Molpus said Monday that any change in ballot listing would require U.S. Justice Department approval and time does not allow for that.

"This has been debated in the Legislature and Kirk Fordice lost," Molpus said. "In fact, it has been considered by every Legislature since 1987 and every year it has died." In contesting the way the ballot was set up, with Democratic Party candidates for every office listed ahead of Republicans, Fordice said a "fairer way to arrange the ballot would be to list the candidates in alphabetical order according to their last names." State law does not address how to list candidates on the general elec- -J trz2 Barbara GaunttThe Clarion-Ledger The addition of Good Eats restaurant on 1-55 eries on 1-55, between Meadowbrook Road west frontage road brings the number of eat- and County Line Road, to 45. til lupe's closing after 49 years MC absorbs expected dip Negative publicity, de-emphasized athletics are factors in lower enrollment at private college. By Joe M. Dove Clarion-Ledger Business Editor By Andy Kanongiser Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer 6 4 Brian Albert Broom The Clarion-Ledger Back on track in Yazoo City The new stop on the Amtrak Memphis-to-New Orleans route is another step toward prosperity, residents say.

By Josh Zimmer Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer YAZOO CITY Among the sights awaiting passengers arriving on an Amtrak train in Yazoo City Monday morning was a bright yellow sign with black letters that read "Welcome Amtrak, My Baby is on Board." The sign belonged to Mary Overton, 79, and it was for her 52-year-old son, Harold, arriving from Chicago on Am-trak's maiden southward stop through this Delta city. For the first time in decades, Yazoo city residents have passenger rail service. The Memphis-New Orleans route now passes through Greenwood and Yazoo City after moving westward from a route that extended through Batesville and Canton. The northbound train will come through once daily except for Tuesday and Wednesday. On its southern route it will make daily stops except for Wednesday and Thursday.

A crowd milled on the new 100-yard platform, leaned against the new chainlink fence and stood under the new green gazebo, waiting for the train that eventually stopped 30 minutes behind schedule. "Everybody loves the train," said Yazoo City Mayor Hugh McGraw. "Just look at all the different ages." Residents Monday said Amtrak signifies another cautious step forward on the road to prosperity. Canton's historic downtown square will be losing a major commercial fixture later this year. lupe's, a family clothing store located on the square for the past 49 years, will be closing in December, according to Joe Iupe 71.

The move is for personal and family considerations, said Iupe. "We have enjoyed it, and Canton has been good to us," he said. "This is a case of closing because we wanted to, not that we had to." The news did not sit well with other Canton chants. "It's certainly going to be a loss to the square," said Bill Mosby, fifth generation owner of Mosby's Drug Store, which opened in 1840 and is Canton's oldest business. And Ernest Buttross, owner of Buttress' Department Store, which has operated on the Square since 1910, said "We are sorry to see an aggressive and forward thinking merchant go out of business.

"The lupe's have been a real asset to the entire community for many years. We've talked about it in our family group, and we are all sorry to see them leave," said Buttross. Mosby said have been buying my clothes from lupe's for most of my life, and Joe is in my store every day. It's going to be a real change for Canton." Iupe is a past president of the Madison County I Chamber of Commerce and the Mississippi Association of Retailers. Mississippi College is seeing fewer students enroll this fall after scaling back athletics and facing a barrage of unwanted publicity, President Howell Todd says.

Fall enrollment plunged by about 340 students at the Baptist college in Clinton compared to a year ago, new reports show. "We knew it would be a tough year when we made the change," Todd said, referring to MC dropping from an NCAA Division II school to Division HI by 1997. Division III does not have athletic scholarships. Announced last spring, the switch has resulted in the loss of at least 50 student-athletes, primarily from the football team, he said. "It's a one-year loss.

There are indications it will go in the other direction," Todd said. Now with 3,250 students enrolled, it is the second consecutive enrollment drop for the college. School enrollment hit a peak of 3,792 students attending in the 1993-94 academic year. MC's current enrollment is down by 542 students from two years ago. Cheaper costs for students at nearby public col-See ENROLLMENT, 7A Bernice Thomas (left) hugs her sister-in-law Vera Walton at the new Amtrak stop in Yazoo City Monday.

Two timber-related companies have created more than 100 new jobs in the past year, said Jerry Fraiser, economic development coordinator for the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce. And, he said, the local economy should benefit from a new federal prison scheduled to open next fall with 250 employees. "I think this is about the biggest happening in Yazoo City since the Shoney's opened," said Joseph Walker, 36, who waited for the train. "Look how small the town is. It may help bring some more economic growth." By rerouting, Amtrak will save more than $50 million in maintenance and track improvements.

Round-trip tickets from Yazoo City cost $58 to $102 to New Orleans and $48 to $88 to Memphis. After getting his hug, Harold Overton talked about visiting more often. "It's better to just take the train and sit back and relax," he said. INDEX THE FORECAST SNICKERS Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s.

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