City board members Tuesday spent about 30 minutes debating the merits of George Fondren’s application to locate Abundant Life Auto Repair south of the Panco building on Highway 51 South.

Fondren wants to buy a building there and open a repair shop. Because the 30-by-50-foot building is in C-2 zone a conditional use permit is required.

That’s how developer Jim Chambers described the number of leasing contracts and letters of intent in hand for the new Tri-Lakes Shopping Center.

Chambers met with the Mayor and Board of Aldermen Tuesday to ask for sign variances for the strip center which he said should open by mid-to-late August.

He was granted variances for a pylon sign and for another which will carry the names of the tenants.

Chambers told The Panolian there will be 10-12 stores in the center which will be behind Back Yard Burgers and will face Wal-Mart Supercenter.

"It’s not unusual for a center like this to open with only 30 or 40 percent of the space leased," Chambers said. "We’re at 80 percent now."

By filling the spaces so quickly, Chambers said, "It’s a sign the market is indeed here for the small shop retailer … it’s incredible."

City Engineer Pete Sullivan told City Board members Tuesday that work in the subdivision – including water, sewer, gas line improvements – is finishing up with the asphalt job to be last.

Alderman Bill Dugger asked Sullivan about driveway entrances in the subdivision where some residents have built up levels by using PVC pipe and covering it.

Sullivan said removing the pipes will help drainage in the area because "anytime you stop a driveway up that will cause water to run on someone else."

However, the Board decided to leave the pipes in place.

To remove them, said Alderman James Yelton, will "get [the city] in trouble with the people there."

With regard to standing water in the area, Mayor Bobby Baker said the improvements made will help but said they aren’t a cure-all.

During a meeting of the South Panola School District Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. C.L. Stevenson explained the revisions to the 2002-03 school calendar.

"The calendar had three days built in for bad weather, and we thought we would get through without using them, but we couldn’t," he said. "If we had, we intended to shorten the second semester."

Stevenson explained since the district used one of the days, they would need to address the remaining "bad weather days."

"Hopefully we are out of the time where we get hit with snow and ice, but we still have the days built into the calendar," he said.

Stevenson’s suggestion was to take the Monday after Easter (April 21) and Memorial Day (May 26).

"We can either take off the last two days or take these two," he said.

Stevenson said taking Memorial Day will better accommodate Project Graduation because the event is scheduled for Sunday, May 25.

"There have been a lot of questions about Project Graduation," South Panola High School Principal Dr. Del Phillips said. "Taking off Memorial Day would greatly help out because we will have teachers and students up all night for the event. The day off would give us time to clean-up before going back to school."

"I think we should take those dates to help out the people involved with Project Graduation," School Board President Lygunnah Bean said.

In addition to the days off, the board agreed to switch the half-day from May 27 to May 28 which is the last day of school.

"We have so many students checking out after tests that it works our office staff to death," Batesville Junior High Principal Darrell Tucker said. "Making the last day a half-day will be a big help."

The suit, filed this week in Panola County Chancery Court also names as defendants the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi State Department of Health.

The case has been assigned to Chancellor Percy L. Lynchard Jr. of Hernando.

Jay Westfaul, attorney for sewer district commissioners, said, "The controversy has been ongoing for quite some time," adding that commissioners "reluctantly" decided to file suit.