LELAND — After a month of joining the team at the Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit, Rhonda Looney has already been making great strides to improve its look.
Looney, who is president of the Leland Chamber of Commerce, said she was approached by exhibit director Ashley Zepponi about the need for additional help in overseeing the day-to-day operations.
“She asked me if I knew anybody who might be interested and I’m retired … I just decided I would do it. It’s been a lot of fun,” Looney said.
Happy to have Looney on board, Zepponi said, “Rhonda stepped up to the plate and it’s been a perfect fit. It’s been an answer to a prayer.”
Looney said she made her first task getting the exhibit’s exterior cleaned up with the help of crews from the Washington County Convention Center who mowed the lawn, cleaned the carpet and placed new vinyl floor covering in the bathrooms.
The next thing she did was organize the exhibit’s two main interior rooms and restock the gift shop with more books, hats, toys, DVDs, coffee cups, Christmas ornaments, pillows, key chains, T-shirts, onesies and more.
Shortly down the road, Looney said she wants to get work done to its exterior to fix the deteriorating balcony and connecting bridge. One day, Looney said she wants to create a parking lot so people don’t have to park their vehicles along the side of Deer Creek.
“I just want to get it back the way it should be. There are people from all over the world who come in here,” she said, noting just since Oct. 1, there have been visitors from 29 states spread out from Alaska to Connecticut, and 15 countries.
“And that’s not just one person from each state and country, there have been several,” she said, noting they have received visitors from The Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria, Scotland, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Venezuela, Belgium, Ireland and more.
Henson was born Sept. 24, 1936, at King’s Daughters Hospital in Greenville and spent his early childhood in Leland. His inspiration for Kermit the Frog came from one of his childhood friends in Leland, Kermit Scott. In 1948, Henson’s family moved from the Delta to Maryland.
The Leland Frog Fest made its debut in 2011 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Jim Henson Boyhood Exhibit and has continued every year since.
“Jim Henson is not just known state-wide, he’s world-wide. It just gives me chills to think about all the people who have been here in a month’s time,” Looney said.
Although Looney just started as a volunteer, Zepponi said she plans to allocate more responsibilities to Looney on a more full-time basis because of the work and enthusiasm she’s shown thus far.
“Rhonda has so many wonderful ideas and it’s so good to have a fresh perspective from someone else, especially since she has been working with the Chamber. The two kind of go hand-in-hand,” Zepponi said. “She thinks of things differently than I do. I’m more business and she’s more creative, and that’s a really good combination.”
For those who would like to keep up with the new happenings at the exhibit, they can join the exhibit’s Facebook group and page, both named Birthplace of the Frog: The Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit.
The Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit Fund is also now affiliated with the Community Foundation of Washington County to benefit its planning and development, renovation, enhancement and ongoing operations.
To make an online donation at CFCW’s website, go to cfwashco.org. Or, folks can mail a contribution to the Community Foundation of Washington County, P.O. Box 5910, Greenville, MS 38704. All checks should have “Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit Fund” in the memo line.
Admission is free to anyone who would like to visit the exhibit, 415 SE Deer Creek Drive, Leland. Visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday after Memorial Day and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday after Labor Day. It is closed on major holidays.
