JACINTO – Don Clayton sits in a lawn chair away from the festival crowd under a shade tree.
His legs are crossed and his reading glasses are on the end of his nose. The 74-year-old retired teacher and farmer from Fulton is working on word search puzzles.
“Some of these puzzles are tough,” says Clayton, who is still an ear away from the political chatter under the pavilion at the July 4th Jacinto Festival. “But they keep my mind busy.”
“I want to hear the speeches,” says the retired educator. “State speeches. We don’t have a political speech in Itawamba County, so this is the only one I can go to.”
Clayton is one of hundreds who attended the annual event Tuesday, which also included historic tours of the Jacinto Courthouse, inflatables for kids, plenty of vendors selling food, arts, crafts and homemade goods.
There were thousands of campaign signs and many candidates handing out information and free water, but the photo of Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann’s head on a fan seemed to get the most use.
“I’ll be staying almost all day,” adds Clayton, who had to put on his raincoat around 10 a.m. to take a short shower.
The raindrops were short lived as by 11am the sun came out and steamy conditions prevailed as temperatures immediately reached the mid 80s.
Former Alcorn County Sheriff Jimmy Taylor tries to attend the festival every year.
“I bring my grandkids here,” says Taylor, who served as sheriff for 16 years from 1992 to 2008. “I love the history of the building.”
As a candidate made promises from a podium microphone in the background, Taylor recalls his early days of political conversation.
“I gave the first political speech here,” says Taylor, who was just 22 when he ran as an agent in 1979.
“This is a homecoming,” he adds. “I see a lot of people I haven’t seen in a while.”
Jacinto holds a special place in the heart of Alcorn County District 2 Supervisor James Voyles, who is not opposed to seeking a third four-year term and was one of the first candidates to speak.
“I’m proud of what’s going on here,” says Voyles, sitting in his 1906 Oldsmobile replica. “The grounds have never looked better.”
The supervisor praised the volunteer effort of the second district, which includes the Jacinto community. He cited a recent garbage collection campaign where 70 volunteers showed up.
“Our greatest asset is our people,” says the supervisor.
Voyles’ late father, roofer Bobby Voyles, grew up just half a mile from the courthouse in Jacinto. And the first supervisor’s house he lived in was a rental across the road.
“I have a lot of history here,” he says, smiling proudly.
