Newspaper Page Text
I f I] m (<2l Tipi fik la
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2007
6A
W~ —— Tri "“ißpwn
j|b IHlißl * Bk INBgy mT» '%??<.- OSp A Ifeißß
■k A Fllfc-raA |l| jg&XL. I J&IHBRiI ™V ■■P*Br n A ■ffTitr « v ■• jm i
W*** % - jiPßpji*
- li *** l *& w^iiiS»-^BB
B Ww 4t .■'«**
' r ,> - *****
PVO throws a party
Over 650 local low-income and elderly people were
guests of honor Monday night at the Perry Volunteer
Outreach annual Christmas Party, held at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds. Cox Concessions provided turkey
with all the trimmings, and “reindeer” kids from First
Baptist Perry (above) helped with serving the disabled.
Kids got to talk with Santa and received bags of gifts.
Below, Barbara Walton, Alvalyn Pope and Mitzi Sexton
v> i '.''i'^;.' : v -iW !
'rWmgm- ■* £&.?.» Jsli'^
■HKiS r ’ s :
Lonesome wail of a train whistle
During
the wee
morning
hours,
I was
awaked to
the lone
some wail
of train
whistle.
A freight
train was
pass-
Hb§' ' ' s^fi
''™tßl wK
Billy Powell
Columnist
ing near my home. We live
about three miles outside
Fort Valley and a half mile
from the railroad tracks. As
the train blew its whistle, my
bedside clock read 2:59 a.m.
My thoughts raced back to
the times I spent the night
with grandmother Braswell
over 60 years ago. Her house
was located on Macon Street
in Fort Valley, a block from
the railroad tracks. During
those days, passenger and
freight trains, 40 to 50 a day,
traveled through Fort Valley.
As the trains approached the
crossings in town in the dead
of night, I shall never forget
the foreboding, sometimes
chilling sound of their warn
ing whistles. The whistles
would begin softly, then rise
walk through Bethlehem
The annual Walk Through Bethlehem at Shirley Hills
Baptist Church on Corder Road in Warner Robins will take
place Dec. 14 through 16. This free program, which is
planned by the church’s congregation throughout the year
is a fully costumed re-creation of the city of Bethlehem at
the time of the birth of Christ.
The event is now in its eleventh year, having been visited
by more than 100,000 guests during that time, with 12,600
last year alone.
Visitors will see Roman Centurions, shops where pottery
and bread are made, camels and donkeys, and - of course
- the stable where the baby Jesus is being cared for by Mary
and Joseph.
No offering is required, and accommodations are made for
groups and for the disabled.
Pastor Andy Cook calls the event “Our church’s gift to the
community.”
Call 923-5571 for full information.
Southern Edge
Photographq Studio
Mention This Ad-Receive A
FREE
Bxl O Portrait
With Any Series Collection
Expires 12-31-07
CALL 333-2122
225 Smithville Church Rd.
k. Suite 300, Warner Robins
to a shrill pitch, and then
slowly trail off—an eerie
sound as the train sped into
the darkness.
Trains have been passing
through Fort Valley for over
150 years. During the 1940 s
when I occasionally spent
the night at grandmoth
er’s house, there were four
famous passenger trains, the
Flamingo, Dixie Flyer, Dixie
Limited, and Southland, the
fastest, that passed through
Fort Valley. They came down
the tracks from Macon
through Echeeconee, Byron,
and Powersville. On the open
stretch, these trains could
travel 75-80 miles per hour.
I know firsthand because my
dad, a railroad buff, would
race with them in his car.
He enjoyed racing with the
trains and having the engi
neer acknowledge him by
blowing the whistle.
The most famous railroad
engineer was Casey Jones
(1864-1900). On the night of
April 29,1900, he brought his
fast mail train, Engine 384,
from Canton, Mississippi,
into Memphis, Tennessee.
After learning that engineer,
Sam Tate, was sick and could
o*7 THE BANK
ip OFPERRY
Please worship at the
church of your choice
1006 Main St. • Perry
L 56944
987-2552
Member FDIC
LOVE
s*r ■■ ,i - "
H WKL-Zmf HLmmh
I r *1 #■ .
v iiiMK M :
i w *
WBp
|h| -„;. \
f pj
not make the return south
bound run, he volunteered
to take Tate’s train, Engine
382, back to Canton. Early
the next morning as Jones
rounded a curve at 50 miles
per hour near the railroad
yard at Vaughn, Mississippi,
he spotted two freight trains
stalled on a side track with
several boxcars of the trail
ing train protruding onto
the main track. Realizing a
crash was inevitable, Casey
Jones told his fireman, Sim
Webb, to jump, but Casey
blew the warning whistle,
put on the brakes, and stayed
with the engine. Jones’ train
plowed through the caboose
of the stalled freight train,
but none of his passengers
lost their lives. Casey’s body
was found in the wreckage
with one hand on the whistle
cord and the other on the
airbrake lever. Had he not
stayed with the engine to
apply the brakes, many of
his passengers would have
died. A ballad written about
him immortalized the skill
and courage of railroad men.
Casey Jones gave his life to
save the lives of his passen
gers and his crew. Isn’t this
what Christ did? He saw us
on a collision course with
hell and gave His life so that
we might live. The Scripture
states that “while we were
yet sinners Christ died for
us.”
181211.5. 41N.
Perry, GA
987-1112
(dv&CEUVS
FIoonngAMSHCA
Serving Houston County
Perry • Warner Robins
Member FDIC
cbst
Bank of Middle Georgia
50861
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
fflßSßßllSffflwt ' . - ’ ■
Contributed
These children participated in the Live Nativity held at Perry United Methodist Church
Sunday night as part of the Christmas at the Crossroads celebration. From left,Beck
Beckham, Wise Man; Emma O’Neill, Wise Woman; Tyler Hall, Joseph; Hunter Johnson,
camel; Mary Caroline Crook, Star of Bethleham; Emma Lewis, Mar; Kerri Ann Lawson,
lamb; Price Massey, lamb.
Choral Celebration with String Quartet
The Adult Choir of the Perry Presbyterian Church will present A Choral Celebration of
Christmas with accompaniment by String Quartet today and tomorrow at 6;30 p.m. The
event is open to all.
Perry Presbyterian is located at 1111 Second Street in Perry. For more information, call
987-1403.
Drive-through Live Nativity
Rehoboth Baptist Church will hold a Drive-through Live Nativity tonight and tomorrow
night from 7 to 9 p.m. All are welcome to come and enjoy this inspiring proram. Rehoboth
Baptist is at 2238 Hwy. 41 North, Perry. For more information, call 987-1577.
&ttt6noidntf * D(iHu%yi4.*n**UM<} • rflteuxti&ci
478-988-2448
740 Main Street
Perry GA 31069
'H& Oatitie
156557
www.sewingbees.com
DAVID OVERTON
JEWELERS
905 Carroll St.
Perry, GA 31069
478-987-1392
[56862
"Let the spirit move you
The Christmas spirit
Thanksgiving Day was
issued out and the Christmas
season immediately issued
in with traditional music.
Windows and lawns are
decorated. Christmas dis
plays greet shoppers and in
■fi*. ‘ , wB
Earline Cole
Reflections
answered with “Merry
Christmas” and the greet
ing is cheerfully returned.
I recall a Christmas of the
past when not everyone was
so jovial about exchanging
the customary greeting.
My Christmas spirit
received quite a jolt when
I answered the phone
expecting a jolly “Merry
Christmas!” Much to my
surprise, the caller harsh
ly inquired, “Hey, what
are y’all doing send me a
Christmas card? I don’t cel
ebrate Christmas.”
“Throw it in the trash,”
came my spontaneous reply .
.. “Throw it in the trash and
I’ll never send you another
one.” With any further com
ment, I lay the phone down
and alerted my husband
that he was wanted on the
phone.
Perry Brake & Muffler
1202 Main St.
Perry, GA 31069
Complete Car Maintenance
NAPA Auto Care
: - -—: AK&S&Itv. '*.* s
i:.&> ■ .< i
478-987-3813
568 55
LONGHORN
BUTCHER SHOP
YOUR HOMETOWN BUTCHER SINCE 1976
1207 Sunst'l Ave. • Perry Plaza
Perry,« A 31069
Lee Lasseter 478-987-5711
Greer Lasseler
56849
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
All sorts of things went
through my mind. I thought
about sending a “Have A
Bah-HumbugDay Everyday”
card to the caller. Not a good
idea. That would have been
spiteful and nothing is ever
gained through spitefulness.
I thought about sending an
empty envelope. What would
have been gained by that?
Not a thing unless the caller
could make the connection
and I seriously doubted he
was capable.
When an envelope is
received in the mail, a
message is expected to be
enclosed. Without a mes
sage, the envelope holds no
value. “Emptiness” is the
key word. The life of a per
son who does not celebrate
the birth of Christ definitely
experiences emptiness.
Perhaps the caller acknowl
edges the birth of Christ but
chooses not to celebrate in
traditional manner. Perhaps
the caller’s heart was con
ditioned to “every day”
observance, rather that “one
day” observance of the birth
of Christ. If that had been
the case, the caller should
have elaborated his feelings.
Perhaps he would have if
given the chance. I had no
desire to hear anything else
he had to say.
With the approaching of
another Christmas, let us
alio w the beauty of Christmas
to live in our hearts each
moment. “Through Him we
have attained access to this
grace in which we stand,
and we rejoice in our hope
of sharing the glory of God.”
- Romans 5:2, RSV
some loca
tions, the
Salvation
Army Bell
Ringers
add a
touch
of the
Christmas
spirit to
the atmo
sphere.
Tis
the sea
son when
phone
calls are
JLo.rWW ’i
/PERRY FLORIST
734 Main Street
Perry, Georgia 31 069
987-1656
800-516-1004
Perry
DrugiCojnnany
friendly. Professional Seme
ItM
Ben Bartlett & Hubert Bennett,
RLGISTEHED PHARMACISTS
M*rt Imurttct Han*
56858
[ 1036 MACON RD. • PERRY, GA |
988-1144
156859
Li i_