Brookhaven aldermen have approved Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege officials’ request to utilize space in the Jimmy FurlowSenior Citizens Center for continuing workforce and other trainingonce the new city facility in built.

Work to construct the senior citizens center is scheduled tostart March 2, displacing Co-Lin’s Mobile Training Lab that iscurrently located in the lot at the corner of Cherokee and FirstStreets. Aldermen discussed Co-Lin’s request at Tuesday’s boardmeeting.

“What they’re saying is that we’ve had a long-standingrelationship with them providing training in the mobile labs,”Mayor Bob Massengill said. “They’ve been very congenial aboutmoving their training lab, and it’s been a good thing for thecity.”

Massengill read a letter from Co-Lin President Ronald Nettlesasking the board to consider allowing the college to use limitedspace in the new senior citizens center for training on things suchas computer, Spanish, customer service, leadership andcommunications.

“I think it would be something we’d want to use facility for,”Massengill said. “Their trailer is going to be gone and they’reproviding for a need in the community. I’ll go on record and say wedefinitely want them to do this.”

Aldermen agreed that the arrangement would be a positive oneboth for the senior citizens center and Co-Lin.

“I think we would jump at the opportunity for them to be a partof this,” said Ward Six Alderman David Phillips.

Massengill also pointed out that the arrangement with thecollege would insure there would be computers in the center thatthe city would not have to buy.

“Plus I think a majority of the people taking these classes areover 55 or 60, or whatever the senior citizen benchmark is thesedays,” Ward Four Alderwoman Shirley Estes said.

Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron expressed concerns that theclassroom activity might take valuable space needed for theseniors’ activities, but Massengill assured him that the classes donot take place regularly enough to interfere.

“Don’t picture it as every week they’re going to be using this,”he said. “They don’t use it that often. They probably will morethan they have been, but it won’t be constantly, all the time.”

Aldermen unanimously approved the college’s request.

Meanwhile, aldermen reported briefly on a committee meeting heldto discuss strategies for getting people to shop at home duringtough economic times.

“We talked about how anytime you spend money in town, it’sturned over six or seven times,” said Alderman at Large LesBumgarner. “Sales tax is our number one source of revenue, so wehave to encourage people to shop at home.”

Phillips said the committee has come up with some ideas forlogos that should make their debut sometime in March.

“We have some looks for what we’ve come up with for logos, andwe hope to get this implemented soon,” he said. “We’ve got plans toshow the benefits of buying locally and shopping at home. Hopefullyin March you’ll see these starting to take place.”