Star of the Week: Lowery S. Farr

Published 4:00 am Tuesday, March 10, 2015

    Lowery S. Farr moved away from Meridian before the first grade but has deep family roots in Meridian. Having a football coach father meant that Farr lived around the Southeast but when he returned in 2013 to help with some family matters it felt like coming home.

    Farr is involved in the cleanup and restoration of the Newell Paper Building on Front Street and is passionate about reviving downtown Meridian. “Saving the buildings is important, but more importantly rejuvenating downtown in terms of bringing more people downtown and getting them more involved in downtown Meridian.”

    Lowery went to college to become a radio broadcaster but ended up falling in love with photography. He has two photos of the EMCC campus, including one of the soon to be torn down stadium going up for auction this Friday at the 12th Annual EMCC Wild Game dinner and auction at the Lion HIlls center in Columbus.

    When asked what his favorite thing to do in Meridian is Farr said “Photography is one, but also going to the music shows in Meridian.” Vince Gill at the MSU Riley Center was recent standout in Farr’s opinion.

    “Music and art are my passion. I like to write too.” Farr added.

    Farr works at the Brickhaus in downtown Meridian where he meets all sorts of people both local and visitors. The wide variety of beverages available is a big draw for people from out of town. Some of the people who visit are downtown fixtures that are “different”. Farr thinks it’s important to treat them like people too.

    “It’s about treating people like you want to be treated. There’s a lot of people that are out there in the community that I think the country falls short on dealing with people with mental health issues. Whether it’s someone like that downtown guy everybody knows or soldiers coming back from serving and defending this country with PTSD. I have a hard time stomaching sometimes how we handle that. You know calling people ‘bums’ and ‘crazy’. It’s a real dismissive way of dealing with that reality.”

    Farr said he’d treat some of them to something to drink and talk to them. “Matter of fact I just had a conversation coming in the door. He’s a good guy and he’s like everybody else. Everybody has their issues whether it’s out in the open or it’s concealed at home.”

    “The thing about people that are different, people try to dismiss it because it shatters their reality. They think if they turn a blind eye it’s not there. But it IS there.” Farr thinks dealing with it is a better approach than pretending it isn’t happening, especially since it’s happening everywhere.

    Farr is a very proud dad of a ten year son, Griffin. “I’m really proud of him. He’s a source of joy.”

    When asked about what the best part of work is Farr said, “Last night we had several men and a woman in uniform to come in all at once. A group is a lot of work but I have a lot of deep respect for the people that go out and do things the rest of us don’t, can’t, or won’t do for everybody else. It’s a privilege to serve the men and women in uniform”