By Staff
HAMS AND TURKEYS Mark Ward, right, and David Poole of Meridian finish up holiday cooking on Wednesday afternoon. Ward has been cooking hams and turkeys at Thanksgiving for friends and family for 10 years. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Marianne Todd/The Meridian Star
Nov. 22, 2001
Mark Ward calls it a day off.
But the "day off" this year started at 5 a.m. Wednesday with 23 hams, three turkeys, 75 pounds of charcoal, a 330-gallon grill and lots of hard work. In the end, he's just happy to see his friends and family eat.
Last year, Ward deep-fried 35 turkeys, a job he couldn't do this year because of the workload.
This year Ward set up his grill in front of his North Hills Street home. On Wednesday afternoon, friends and family stopped by to pick up their hams and turkeys, all of which were paid for by Ward.
Ward's friend, David Poole, stopped by to lend a hand.
Jerry Williams said he has been enjoying Ward's cooking for years.
Ward has perfected his cooking technique and special glaze over the years. If the hams and turkeys aren't just right, he'll throw them out, friends said.
Marianne Todd is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3236, or e-mail her at mtodd@themeridianstar.com.