Mississippi’s lawmakers won’t forget Brookhaven anytime soonafter Wednesday’s annual Brookhaven Day at the Capitol visit, whena sizeable delegation of local leaders gathered in Jackson to grip,grin and sing the praises of the Homeseekers Paradise.

Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive VicePresident Cliff Brumfield said the day was a successful publicrelations visit, with local officials meeting and greeting manylawmakers as representatives and senators shuffled through therotunda. Additionally, Miss Mississippi Outstanding Teen Laura LeeLewis addressed the House about anti-bullying legislation – astaple of her pageant platform – and the Mississippi School of theArts Choir also performed for lawmakers.

“An absolutely beautiful, amazing performance,” Brumfield saidof the arts students.

The choir’s singing appearances at the Capitol is perhaps MSA’sbest tool for winning the hearts and minds of legislators. Beforesinging in the House, the choir sang down onto the first floor fromabove on the second floor of the Capitol.

The choir’s performance did most of the work for the Brookhavendelegation, which softened its approach on promoting MSA afterHouse Bill 599 – the latest legislative attempt to move the schoolout of the city – died in the House last week. Brumfield said localleaders had spent the preceding weeks furiously campaigning on theschool’s behalf.

“We’ve already provided a very large amount of informationregarding MSA staying in Brookhaven and how much has been investedin the facilities here,” he said. “With that having been discussedand presented several times in recent months, we didn’t have tohammer it as hard as we have in the past.”

The delegation also spent plenty of time bringing thealmost-completed Linbrook Business Park to lawmakers’ attention,but Brumfield kept any possible economic news tightly underwraps.

“Nothing we didn’t already know,” he said.