About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2025)
» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 | C5 For Heaven's Sake Mike Morgan I’M CALLING YOU A COSMIC 20 CHIRO- PRACTOR 2 50, INSTEAD OF PRAYING TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN THE BIBLE WARNS US NOT TO BE "A STIFF- NECKED 6/22 .PEOPLE"! 7. The return It happened the other night. He returned for the first time in 30 years. His eyes were still dark brown, his hands were short but wide, and his teeth still pearly white but rarely seen because, for him, life was a serious business. Usually, his smiles were tight or a closed, half smile that slipped slightly up from one corner but there were times I could entice a full grin and then, on occasion, a business success would be so joyous that he would throw back his head of thick, glossy, dark brown hair and laugh. In a dream, he came back to visit. He was still young and cute and, throughout the dream, he grinned or laughed. Without question, the happy dream came because at 9 p.m., I had slapped closed my laptop, having written a magazine piece that featured Alan Kulwicki. It was the story of how Tink and I met: he was writing a movie script on Alan, discovered a story in The New York Times that mentioned I had dated him, then tracked me down to call and ask for an interview. A movie contract had me in Los Angeles so I met him for coffee and an uneasy but cordial friendship was begun. Tink was not happy nor easy in those days. Alan won the stock car racing championship then was killed in a plane crash a few months later. That was just his luck. The way things seemed to go for him since he was in the second grade. That’s when his Mother died. Alan and his little brother went to live with Ronda Rich Dixie Divas his grandmother while his father traveled the United States Auto Club (called USAC) building engines for different teams. As a sixth grader, his grandmother died. Two years later, his brother, a hemophiliac, died while blowing the trumpet in the school band. A blood vessel burst. Life, as evident by these tales, showed its grim side to Alan early. Inspired by his father, he studied engineering in college, got a master’s degree, then began driving on the ASA circuit, eventually winning a championship and becoming one of the sport’s top stars. I met him then. He won an ASA short track race that I, as a sports writer, was covering. I went down to the track to meet him. In the most fortunate of events, the track photog rapher snapped a photo of the moment I met Alan. We are shaking hands, my short, golden-red hair blowing in my face. I’m wearing large, black sunglasses (my sunglasses in later years would be an amusement between us) and Alan, in a rare moment, is smiling. I cherish that photo. When Fox Sports did a documentary that included Alan, the network interviewed me and used a couple of my Alan anecdotes, including one about his lack of humor. Once, I saw Alan walking through the garage with briefcase in hand — the only stock car driver to ever tote brief- cases. Merrily, I ran over to him. “Wait until I tell you what happened.” Deadpan, he looked at me. I continued laughing. “It’s so funny!” Not even a hint of a smile. I stopped and leaned in until our noses were close. “But, don’t worry,” I replied humorously, “I’ll tell you when to laugh.” At that, Alan smiled. A friend took a photo of Alan and me at the height of our happi ness, in the garage at North Wilkesboro. I am dressed way too glam orous for a greasy garage, wearing matching large sunglasses, hugged closely by Alan, grin ning ear to ear. Since his death, the photo has set on my dresser until a few months ago when I discovered it had disap peared. We have been unsuccessful in finding it. I awoke that morning with a sweet recall of that starry-eyed girl enthused about each day’s adventure. Alan, handsomely young, still had a lifetime of dreams ahead. Bliss fully, we were unaware of the shortness of time. Ronda Rich is the best- selling author of the new Stella Bankwell Mystery: Sapelo Island. Visit www. rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. 32 47 25 30 55 59 62 11 15 48 26 18 45 27 28 46 29 38 43 12 22 39 49 56 60 63 19 23 40 20 44 13 16 41 31 42 50 33 24 51 57 61 21 34 52 64 14 17 35 53 36 54 37 58 10 CLUES ACROSS 1. Computer 24. Brass instrument 25. One who gets 50. Fencing sword 55, "Luther" actor Idris manufacturer 5. Noted space station 8. Kurt Russell film "Captain" 11. Automaton 13. Everyone has one 14. Incline from the vertical 15. Fights 16. Dunn & Bradstreet (abbr.) 17. Finishes off 18. Places to store things 20. Dutch painter Gerard 21. Smaller quantity 22. There's a North, South and Central of these 25. In an early way 30. More spacious 31. Short-term memory 32. One who possesses 33. Sesame 38. Forbid 41. A way to explain 43. Not around 45. Evoke or suggest 47. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea 49. Dekameter 56. Affirmative (slang) 57. Afflicted 59. One point north of northeast 60. Born of 61. Arabic name 62. Hong Kong food stall: pai dong 63. Not the start 64. Post CLUES DOWN 1. Creative expression 2. Fiber from the outer husk of a coconut 3. City in ancient Syria 4. College army 5. More disturbed 6. Pays no attention to 7. Restored 8. Competitions 9. Lyric poems 10. Famed American lawman 12. Expression of disappointment 14. Scars 19. Satisfy 23. Central European river paid to perform 26. Propel with oars 27. Long period of time 28. Woman (French) 29. Type of plane 34. Pitching stat 35. Pointed end of a pen 36. Pro sports league 37. Body part 39. Inoffensive 40. Yellowish cotton cloth 41. Feline 42. Does not tell the truth 44. Set out to attract 45. Spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation 46. Abba , Israeli politician 47. Repair 48. Genus of flowering plants 51. Tributary of the High Rhine 52. Prejudice 53. C. European river 54. Restrain 58. Father SEE PUZZLE ANSWERS » PAGE B2 PetULa CLaTK GLEN CaMphelL ITh® Temptations % Ed Sheer NC0CLE % Adele Read breaking news online and subscribe to your hometown STARSTATION 2 TH°SUpTOMOS Neil DiaMoNd Raychankes 100 7FM Frank Sinatra _Were PLayINg your MUSIC Me RoNetteS newspaper at www.msgrnews.com Lake Oconee Lutheran Church A Stephen Ministry Congregation We are a Christ-centered, mission minded church with traditional worship eager to include you in our church family. 7 Q X Pastor Meg Jackson Clark GREENSBORO, GEORGIA - - aNB Noehe PNeSeIS ed 5 The Beatles MeSTa 11 706.485.3501 and ask to advertise on the Worship Page, today! BYTERI Website - fpog.org Phone: 706-453-4956 a PC(USA) Church Sunday Scripture Study - 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service - 11:00 a.m. First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro 117 South Main Street, Greensboro, Georgia (next to the Post Office in downtown Greensboro) All Are Welcome Sunday Bible Study 9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Pastor Steven Hayden 706-485-4600 Office officelolc@gmail.com LAKE OCONEE LUTHERAN CHURCH Iwww.lakeoconeelutheran.org] CHURCH Wednesdays Sundays: 5:15 p.m. - Family Night Supper 9:45 a.m. - Sunday School Children & Adult Bible Study 10:50 a.m. - Worship Dr. Craig Williamson, Pastor First Baptist Church 115 Madison Avenue • Eatonton, Ga 706.485.3331 www.FirstBaptistfEatonton.orgl Episcopal Church 1089 Lake Oconee Parkway (Hwy 44) Located behind the Lake Oconee Lutheran Community Center Eatonton First Methodist Church 103 West Magnolia Street, Eatonton, GA 31024 706-485-5871 www.eatontonfmc.com Pastor David Wofford "If you •want peace you don’t talk to y our friends, you talk to your enemies.” — Desmond Tutu All Angels Episcopal Church 405 North Jefferson Avenue Eatonton, Georgia oly Communion at ten on Sunday morning Wednesday Night Activities Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. with bible study at 6:30 p.m. Sunday 8:45 a.m. Traditional Worship in Historic Sanctuary 10.00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Casual Worship in Historic Sanctuary GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH
