An open house and community garden dedication was held recently at the Prentiss Senior Center on Second Street in Prentiss.

The welcome was given by Five County Project Manager Joyce Strickland and invocation by District 4 Supervisor Michael Evans.

Opening remarks were provided by Southern Mississippi Planning and Development Senior Services Division Director Madeline Walker with the dedication by SMPDD Senior Services Assistant Division Director Thania Coyne. District 3 Supervisor Demarrio Booth gave a special presentation.

Jefferson Davis County Miss Hospitality Mariah Evans cut the ribbon officially opening the community garden surrounded by SMPDD members, the JDC Board of Supervisors and Prentiss Mayor Charley Dumas.

The garden was born from an idea senior center member John Odom gave Thania Coyne two years ago. Coyne found a way to make the garden a reality.

The garden will provide seniors with fresh grown vegetables and give the seniors at the center an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

The Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors, along with garden project volunteers, met and provided assistance for the cleaning up and hauling off of the overgrowth and remaining debris to ready the site for additional improvements.

After submitting several grant applications, SMPDD was awarded funding through Cigna to complete the project and a contract was secured through Joe Garrett, Greater Renovations and Repairs, for the work to begin.

In addition to the cleanup and site improvements, the Cigna funds allowed for the purchase of four raised planting tables, plants and soil for the garden, a storage shed, two handicap accessible picnic tables with umbrellas/base and beautification of the patio area.

Dennis W. Fortenberry Career Center instructor Leonard Daley and his students, Rhett Daughdrill, Summer Brock, Sloan Alexander, James Lockhart and Dekylon Mikell, built and donated two wooden benches for the community garden.  The benches are heavy duty, built with exterior treated lumber which will serve the residents for a long time.  The benches are adorned by planters of flowers in the seating area to create a peaceful and visually inviting space for seniors to enjoy and socialize outdoors.