May 2012 – LETTER FROM OUR EDITOR

Welcome back everyone!
This edition of GTP begins with the Grand Opening of Lil Italy “After Dark.” It is the pride and joy of long time restaurant owners, Tony and Lori Abbate. This is the place they dreamed of and wanted for years – read all about it in this very special cover story. We wish them great success in their new venture.
The Gulfport Music Festival kicks off May 18 and to say it is going to be phenomenal is an understatement! The brand new, beautiful Jones Park in Gulfport is the perfect setting for this incredible weekend of music and I will provide you with all the info you need right here.
Kay Daneault, Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi is our very deserving Mover and Shaker for the month of May. Learn all about the wonderful work she and her staff do to help those on the Gulf Coast struggling with mental illness and homelessness.
Are you a parent that loses his cool when your child is playing sports and the game is on? Find out how kids really feel when tempers flair and the voice of reason goes out the window. Out of the mouths of babes!
All This…And So Much More

Nancy Marchbanks
Executive Editor

After Dark in Lil’ Italy – The Coast Newest Night Club

Backbreaking work, tenacity and a love of two worlds come together in a place where locals can feel right at home. The owners of Lil’ Italy Original Chicago Italian Food Restaurant have finally had their hard work pay off. Tony and Lori Abbate have owned businesses before but none quite as enjoyable as there new Lil’ Italy.

KAY DANEAULT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

“Promoting mental health and wellness, expanding access to services, and improving systems of care through education, advocacy, direct services and partnerships.” This is the mission statement for the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi and thanks to the dedication and first rate leadership of Executive Director, Kay Daneault, it is carried out to the letter. A graduate of USM Gulf Coast, Kay brought her expertise in business and working with non-profits to the Mental Health Association in 2007. She and her husband of 24 years, Rick, have a fifteen year old daughter, Allison, who attends St. Patrick Catholic High School. “This is such a wonderful place to work, as it is a local organization. I personally see people that we help through our programs and hear their heartfelt gratitude. Our Board of Directors and our staff are passionate about our mission. It is a team effort that I am extremely proud of,” Daneault said.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Then someone asks you, “How are you?” do you tell them you’re fine, even if you aren’t? If so, you are not alone. In fact, fewer than 25% of people who are not feeling their best will actually tell someone about it. This is something that many Gulf Coast organizations want to change. During the month of May, there are several ways for you to reach out for help and find resources to improve your mental health and sense of well being, so you can honestly answer, “I’m fine!”

Saving Our Sisters: It’s More Than Just Girl Talk

Adolescence. The time when girls give up their dolls, and start thinking about boys. We can’t stop the march of time, although many fathers wish they could. But when a girl becomes a teenager, her thoughts turn to more grown-up aspirations. The adolescent years can be scary for both the girls and their parents. How do I have “the talk” with her? When is the right time to have “the talk?” How do I explain that I made mistakes when I was her age? These are all questions that boggle a parent’s mind as they watch their daughter grow and develop into a young woman. Sadly, too many parents are afraid to have the talk with their daughters, leaving them to find out the facts of life through movies, their peers, and by making the life altering mistakes.

Great Southern Club

The Great Southern Club is where fun meets elegance. Perched high atop the Hancock Bank Building in downtown Gulfport is the Great Southern Club. Amazing views abound in the dining room and ball room. The private club is open to non-members in the ballroom and banquet hall where the lights of the city can be breathtaking by night and the scenic landscape can seem to go for miles in the daylight.

Gulfport Music Festival 2012

The Gulfport Music Festival made it’s star studded debut this time last year. Fans crowded into beautiful Downtown Gulfport in record numbers to enjoy their favorite artists in Country, Alternative, Rock, and Hip Hop. The premeire event last May featured headliners, Train, Montgomery Gentry, Flo Rida, and Sean Kingston. There was plenty of “dancin in the streets” and everyone had a blast. The level of success exceeded all expectations and the fans cried out for more! Almost immediately the Executives at Mississippi Media and their partners at the City of Gulfport began planning the sequel. This year, there are some very exciting differences beginning with an even bigger roster of non stop entertainment for THREE full days and nights! Also, the party has been moved from the streets of Downtown Gulfport to the brand new Jones Park on the beach! And the Headliners? Operations Manager for Mississippi Media, Kenny Vest, once again got the biggest stars in the music industry to come to the Coast!