FRIARS POINT — It became a little easier for Friars Point to change street names throughout the town when the city council voted to change Walnut Street to Dudley Myles Street during the July meeting.
The vote was 3-1 with aldermen Thomas Williams, Carltonez Done and Glenn Marshall supporting the measure. Alderman Erich Johnson opposed.
Dudley Myles was part of a large family singing group that went around to churches.
Mayor James Washington said the town of Friars Point will need to have a policy in place for anyone who wants to change a street name. City attorney Cheryl Webster is expected to introduce the policy.
“It will be simple so you don’t have to do anything before you bring it before the board and put it on the agenda in advance,” Washington said. “We’ll vote on it. If the majority approves, that’s it.
“When we started out to try to put street names up, there were several streets that had the same name. There were some streets that had no name. There were times when confusion came about when emergency management came on the scene.”
Washington said, in the past, there was not a process to change a street name as emergency management looked for people by name.
Now, Washington said, once the change of a street name is approved, it takes six to eight months to implement the change.
Marshall pointed out Washington had previously said those who should be recognized would have their signs put up in the future and a street would not be named after them.
“You’re right, I did say that about the signs, but the signs need to go up as the home of somebody,” Washington replied. “I’m going to tell you a sign that’s not up and needs to go back up. If it’s up, I don’t know where.”
Washington discussed country singer Conway Twitty, who was born in Friars Point.
“This is the home of Conway,” he said. “That’s important in this community more than we can imagine. How many people do you think will visit this community just because of that sign?”
Washington said the sign really needs to be on Highway 61 pointing to Friars Point.
“Clarksdale is taking advantage of Friars Point,” Washington said. “We need to reverse that. We need to take advantage of Clarksdale because Clarksdale is into the blues and all this historical.
“We’re sitting on a doggone goldmine. We just don’t know it.”
Washington said the more people come to Friars Point, the more they will “invest in mom and pop businesses.”
In other business, now that the three homes were built thanks to a Mississippi Housing of Urban Development grant, Washington said a new grant application was filled out for construction and remodeling of homes.
He said he is waiting for a response.
“You need prayer and we are praying and hopeful that we’re being funded,” Washington said. “If we don’t get funded, don’t get discontent and mad with them about anything. We’ll just turn around next year and resubmit, kind of play it up. You know how it is, just like in the dating game.”
