The cover story in our November issue shows off one of Mississippi’s hidden gems.
That’s something we see as part of our mission at Today in Mississippi. We like to remind our members of the wonderful places to visit and experience right in our own backyards.
The Rainwater Observatory at French Camp Academy in Choctaw County houses one of the largest collections of powerful telescopes in the Southeast.
The facility also houses a planetarium used to teach lunar, stellar, and planetary motion, constellations, and mythology.
The exhibits at Rainwater include a meteorite collection featuring a meteorite from Mars and a piece of the Chelyabinsk meteorite that hit Russia in 2013.
Rainwater also hosts a free monthly program every second Friday of the month. That program is sponsored by the 4-County Foundation.
The 4-County Foundation was created by 4-County Electric Power Association in 2015 to improve the lives of their co-op members. The foundation money comes from the generosity of 4-County members.
The 4-County Foundation is a perfect example of the one of the seven core Cooperative Principles our co-ops utilize to put the needs of its members first — Concern for Community.
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies supported by membership.
Another way of saying that?
Mississippi’s electric cooperatives give back to the communities they are part of because, unlike traditional utilities, cooperatives want to enrich the lives of their members.
So, whether you are an amateur stargazer or someone who just wants to look up at the stars on a dark night and contemplate the wonders of the world, go visit the Rainwater Observatory and tell them you read about it in Today in Mississippi, your electric cooperative’s monthly magazine.
We hope you enjoy the November issue.
