Fellow Flatlander: Lisa Cookston



Lisa Cookston was born December 13, 1968, to Shirley and Bill Curtis of Greenwood and is married to lawyer Steven Cookston. Together they have Lucy, 9, and Cavitt, 7. In addition to serving on the City Council, Lisa is a part-time English Composition instructor at Mississippi Delta Community College and a free-lance writer. She has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Mississippi.

1. First car: 1981 Cutless Supreme
2. Favorite music album: That's way too hard to narrow down. Can I answer by decade? Early 70's: Captain and Tenille's album, "Love Will Keep Us Together" was a huge hit in my house and one I sang often into my hairbrush, as well as the "Grease" soundtrack in the latter part of the 70s. In the 80s, my favorites were Prince's "Purple Rain", R.E.M., "Reckoning" and the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. In the 90s, Nivana's "Nevermind" was very influential. These days I listen to singles. I'm liking Chromeo, MGMT, and I'm going back to early eighties R&B like The Gap Band, Cameo, and Midnight Star.
3. Favorite book: A Confederacy of Dunces
4. Worst movie you've ever seen: Rambo II
5. Any competitive sport(s) played: Tennis
6. Scariest experience: I was in the middle of a shootout at a gas station in Magee, MS on a sunny Monday morning.
7. Favorite beverage: I do love a mojito but Greenwood's tap water is the best!
8. Childhood nickname: Depends on who you talk to.
9. Church: First Presbyterian Church
10. Hobbies: Reading, deluding myself into thinking I will ever run in 300 Oaks, rationalizing everything.
11. Best road trip: A self-guided tour from the Las Vegas strip to Death Valley, CA with my husband.
12. Pet(s): A deranged mutt named Biscuit and a very cool, pampered cat named Grey Grey.
13. Average night's sleep: 6 hours
14. Favorite Halloween costume: I was Mother Nature when I was 11.
15. Favorite thing about Greenwood: The crazy fools that live here and our downtown.

Additional Questions:

Delta Dirt: How do you like City Council so far?
Lisa Cookston: I don't like the controversey that is happening right now with the city attorney appointment. I wish very much to get past this and work to bring about positive, progressive change to our fair city.

DD: How do you think you are unique -- what do you bring to the table that no other council members can?
LC: I think that as the lone female, I automatically bring a different perspective and attitude to the council. I hope that I am seen as fair, intelligent, and forward-thinking.

DD: What would you most like to accomplish/see happen?
LC: First, I want somehow to get beyond every decision or motive of the council being racially charged. I want Greenwoodians to have confidence that Greenwood will not only thrive but prevail (to steal a line from Faulkner). I want us to plan carefully for how our town should look as it grows (when that opportunity arises). I want to see sidewalks, bike paths, great parks. I would love for Greenwood to embrace the arts and nurture home-grown entrepreneurs in our schools. I want more industry that pays decent wages. I want excellent public schools that are a Level 5. If I am living and raising my family here, I want the best for each and everyone of us. I know those lines sound like Miss America wishing for world peace, but I sincerely think we can do much better as a town with some progressive thought. Let's look at what other small towns are doing right and try model their successes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Official Delta Dirt Merchandise Now Available

Image
Just in time for the holiday season, The Delta Dirt is launching its first and only Delta Dirt online store ! Featuring an original watercolor by Co-Editor Amy McCullough, these exclusive items are the perfect selection for that hard-to-buy-for person in your family. T-shirts, Caps, Aprons, Hoodies, Totes, Kitty Bowls, Coffee Mugs, Etc. You can get everything you need in various shades of earth tones (naturally). For an extra earthy feel, try one of the organic tees for yourself or someone you care about. Visit us on the Web: The Delta Dirt Online Store
Read more

Obama or McCain? You Decide.

Image
Barack Obama is the only candidate that has been successful at reaching across party lines in the presidential election. I as well have not had much to say on The Dirt. It is unfortunate that I no longer consider myself in tune with life in the Delta and can no longer comment as such. My free time (what little of it I have) has also been dedicated to following both the presidential election and American Idol like a hawk. That having been said, I am not afraid to admit that my name is on Amy's list of previously sane people who are seriously considering Obama in November. Now, my consideration depends on a lot of future events to fall into place. First and foremost, Obama will have to beat Hillary for the Democratic nomination. If that were to happen, my pick between Obama and McCain would also depend on who each picks for their veep candidate. As a self-proclaimed independent, I find myself torn between these two candidates and refuse to make a blind decision based on what ce...
Read more

Editorial: As Predicted, McCain Falls in the Polls

This two-minute campaign ad clearly states Barack Obama's plan to reenergize our economy. Thank God someone is addressing this issue. In an opinion editorial previously published this week, I predicted that the roller coaster ride the economy has been on this week would cause Republican presidential candidate John McCain to fall in the polls. "My prediction: By the end of the week, McCain's stance on the economy will cause his Palin bump in the polls to all but disappear." According to Real Clear Politics , "one of America’s premier independent political web sites," my prediction came true. Currently, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is ahead in the polls by 1.9% , approximately the level by which he was ahead leading into the Democratic and Republican conventions. The Palin bump that McCain joined is now completely gone. This reversal of fortune is due, in part, to Obama's strength on the issue of the economy and the popularity of his e...
Read more